one way street of superiority

Hagia Sophia  article

































  

Hagia Sophia had served as a Christian church for hundreds of years before Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. (In fact nearly a 1000 years).

 It would not be the last conversion from church to mosque in Turkey in recent times.

In recent weeks it was announced that the Monastery of Stoudios — the largest Byzantine-era monastery in Istanbul — would be converted into a mosque next year.

It is indeed a litmus test being played by the Turkish authorities to gauge the reaction internally as well as internationally.   It must be remembered that this is just one episode of the "path towards a more Islamification" of the country, specifically a more conservative Sunni trend.

It is certainly a great example of the double standards being applied, mostly on the part of the Turkish authorities, who have a track record in shedding crocodile tears and exclaiming "outrage" at the lack of progress with mosque building, (latest round being directed at Athens), while openly supporting a stronger Islamic ethos throughout the country; to the detriment of other religious minorities.

Religions equality in Turkey is very difficult to define as it is Sunni Islam that dominates and holds sway.  Religious minorities including Orthodox, Catholics, Armenians, Protestants, Syriacs Christians, Jews,and Alevi Muslims face restrictions & regular discrimination. 

FOOTNOTE


http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/10/turkey-urges-christians-join-police.html#

the uttered word - unbalanced vandalism

Take the example of this recent case of vandalism that took place in Germany.

On the night to Thursday, the Arabic words “Allahu Akbar” were painted on the portals of several churches in the city centre of Augsburg. According to local police, the Cathedral, the Church of St. Maurice and the Protestant Ullrich Church are affected. At the Cathedral both the north and the south portals were painted with white letters. Hard to imagine a mosque would have been affected. Claudia Roth (Member of Parliament for the Green Party) probably would have organized a candlelight vigil in her hometown because of an “Islamophobic attack” and would have called for an alliance against fascism. However, it were churches, and thus, that “little night time graffiti prank” is only worth small footnotes in the newspaper Augsburger Allgemeine (with photos) and the broadcasting centre BR and will soon be forgotten.

 

(Original in german / Translation: Carpe Diem) - PI

Now take a moment to compare this mindless act of ideological intolerance, so carefully labelled as  as a minor affair, a prank, with recent media articles on mosque vandalism.

ABC Australia mosque

US mosque article 

The language used is completely different, it is direct and to the point: 

• AIR-Philadelphia Executive Director Jacob Bender. "The unfortunately growing promotion of Islamophobia in our society can and does lead to such troubling incidents."

• " The attack has been condemned by local political leaders."

Unfortunately, hysteria is often whipped up or charges are levelled of Islamic hate crimes or simply Islamophobia.  When the reverse happens, acts of vandalism inspired by a blinkered and hateful brand of ideology'; when written in Arabic or directed at non-believers, is dismissed by religious and political leaders as simply a non-news event.  Where does this kind of mentality leads us?  Is is this supposed to be the price for "interfaith dialogue" and "multiculturalism"?  

Indeed there is a growing problem of "ignorance is bliss" on the part of local and national authorities, who tend to sweep acts of Islamic inspired acts of aggressiveness under the rug. In many instances, such cases of vandalism, attacks on property and on people gets unreported. Likewise, the  origin of the perpetrators are often camouflaged by the media or police under the cover of " south-east Europeans, Asians or Middle Eastern" individuals".  It is a case of "don't rock the boat". I fear that this plays directly into the hands of those who espouse this hatred of non-believers, firmly entrenching the mentality of " I can do I whatever I want", " I can get away with it", "I've got my rights covered". 

Now please could more people stand for the OTHERS!  Why are we allowing an extreme minority to dictate the terms in the name of the rest, (the majority)?

Remember what starts off by minor acts of vandalism, when done in the name of hate and ideology, can grow into something bigger and nastier in nature.  We don't have to go far into the history archive to see this. 

Let's move away from Europe, aka the West and see what is happening in other parts of the world.   Syria - destruction of churches, Nigeria, Tanzania, Egypt... the same is happening, all done in the name of "Allah".  If no one in Europe cares a hoot about a simple church, where's the outcry on the mayhem, death and destruction of centuries old places of worships and the worshippers themselves.  There is a deafening silence on this.  The only event that triggered an international outcry was the explosive demolition of the Bayam Buddhas by the Taliban in Afghanistan.  Personally I think it was more of a whimper and a squeak.

Vandalism and destruction of places of worships isn't limited to non-Islamic places.   The Wahabi / Salafi mindset, promoted at great length by the Wahabi "hq" called Saudi Arabia is lending itself to the promotion of a greater number acts of destruction of "non-conforming buildings"  across the globe, notably Sufi shrines in Libya, Tunisia, Kashmir, Mali and recently in Syria. Why? To quote from an BBC article: "Hardline Salafists regard the shrines as idolatrous." The destruction in Libya was sufficiently serious enough for HRW to issue a press release,  where Eric Goldstein from HRW stated the following: “Inaction and impunity can only encourage further attacks.” These words are apt given the inaction and the impunity that is occurring across Europe and the West to a growing trend of not just acts of vandalism but of violence too.  It is a systematic trend that is growing month by month and the ripples will be felt more widely and more frequently.

Uttered words cultural annihilation

"Something new and destructive became a force within many Muslim communities." The American Muslim website. 30/3/2013 

The Saudis are even destroying the historical global Islamic heritage in Mecca.  That how destructive they are! If you don't believe me, Google it up.  Of course, this brand of Islam is widespread and yet more evidence of its total destructiveness is apparent in post-revolutionary Libya, Timbuktu, Afghanistan, Kosovo to name a few.

NEXT on the list are: The pyramids in Cairo

Some more examples of the wanton and deliberate destruction :

Sufi shrine.  Here.   More  destruction Here in Mali. Not to mention world heritage sites in Mali.   More than 40 Sufi shrines have been destroyed in Tunisia alone.  Sufis and their shrine are regularly targeted in Pakistan.  The same has happened in Kosovo,( 2000 study, "Destruction of cultural heritage in Kosovo: a postwar report,").

Does anyone care any more?

Not one in the West is really scratching their head and asking themselves why is this happening.  Most people have been gently anathesied by the global media networks, lulled into thinking that its no a problem, it's not relevant to their lives, or its Muslims being silly in faraway places.  It's religion and that not interesting.  

Take one step further, if hardly anyone is thinking about the question, WHY, then how many people are thinking about the probable outcomes of all of this, i.e. what is this leading to?  

Who is standing up for the rights of the Sufis in North Africa or in Pakistan?  Other Sufis, UNESCO, culture ministers? In Bosnia, in France, in Turkey?  Not a peep, apparently.   Everyone seems to be playing the great game of pretending to be Ostriches,  you know.. Sand, head.... Stuff.   

Why the Sudden Cultural Heritage Annihilation Syndrome?   The answer is called SHRIK in Arabic. Shirk is the sin of idolatory. in other words, placing partners next to God. This Islamic law concept also covers the Christian belief in the Trinity and all saints too. Let this be a warning to all Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Sufis, Shias. There is no place for you in the monoculture of Salafism/Wahhabism. Stop sleepwalking around and thinking that all is ok, because this extreme danger is increasing day by day, getting stronger because of a complete failure by governments worldwide to counter this in any shape or form whatsoever.  

Destruction of cultural heritage

The BBC featured a number of historic building and sites that were destroyed during conflicts.  The series of photographs showed a number of sites across the world, including Mostar bridge, the Bamiyan Buddhist statutes, Coventry Cathedral, the summer palace in Beijing, to name a few.

The photo article was produced as a result of the recent destruction of an historical minaret in ALEPPO.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-22290244

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I'd like to feature a few more that aren't even mentioned by the BBC. 

TURKEY
Destruction of Armenian cultural heritage in Turkey

KOSOVO
Destruction of Orthodox cultural heritage in Kosovo 1999
Article by Robert Fisk

On NATO's KFOR watch - The 15th-century monastery of the Holy Trinity above Musutiste, begun in 1465, has been levelled with explosives. The monastery of the Archangel near Vitina, built in the 14th century, has been looted and burnt. So has the church of the Archangels in Gornje Nerodimlje. And the church of St Paraskeva, near Pec. And the church of St Nicholas in Prekoruplje - razed and its nine 16th-century icons lost, including that of the apostle Thomas.

The HOLY LAND

The Tomb of Joseph (destroyed in 2000) in the Holy Land.

Wait it gets worse!..........

"Something new and destructive became a force within many Muslim communities." The American Muslim website. 30/3/2013 

MECCA 

Destruction of Islamic heritage sites in Mecca. Since the last 50 years and in 2013! Article & photos 

MALI 

2013-Extremists set fire to one of world’s great libraries in Timbuktu http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/mali-extremists-set-fire-to-one-1561032

And on .....