HAGIA SOPHIA: Allah commands Muslims to protect Christian Churches — Mohammed

The controversy surrounding the recent ruling by Turkey’s highest administrative court, that Hagia Sophia, a UNESCO world heritage site in Istanbul and a global symbol of world history and multicultural representation, should convert from a museum back to a mosque, still rages on.

The highly coveted 1,500-year-old structure which was originally built as the patriarchal cathedral of Constantinople for the state church of the Roman Empire, by Emperor Constantine I, but completed by Emperor Justinian in 537, was first used by the Eastern Orthodox Church, then temporarily by the Roman Catholic Church, later as an Ottoman mosque for 482 years, before becoming a secular museum in 1935.


The decision to covert Hagia Sophia back to a mosque by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has many a time openly expressed his support to turn Hagia Sophia back into a mosque, has once again revealed the polarisation between secular and religious Turks in the country.

But as reactions continue to pour from across the globe, Nigerians aren't left out of the debate either.

 Adding his voice to the debate, is Mohammed Garba, whose opinion aligns with the opposing camp, that is, those against the conversion of Hagia Sophia back to a mosque.



In his opinion piece, Mohammed said, "Hagia Sophia is an Othodox Christian Church, not a Museum nor a Muslims Mosque. Justice requires that Christians heritage be returned to them.

" 'Allah commands you to restore trusts to its rightful owners and when you judge between people, judge with JUSTICE'."
(Qur'an 4:58)

"The above is what the Islamist government of Turkey was supposed to obey if it really wants to please Allah rather than following the SINFUL and shameful Ottomans legacy of betraying the trust by converting the Christians historical monument into a Mosque whereas Allah commands Muslims to protect Christians Churches, Jewish Synagogues under their territorial control the way they will protect Mosques, for they're where Allah's name is mentioned much (Qur'an 22:40).


"Yes, the Museum status of the monument as imposed by the secular regime of Mustafa Ataturk, the founder of Modern Turkey, was illegal. No body has the right to convert people's place of worship into a Museum. It is the inalienable rights of the Christians that that monument remains their Church. For Muslims, it is an irony that we continue to claim our right to al Aqsa Mosque in the Jerusalem al Quds under the occupation of the Zionist Jews, but justify snatching of Hagia Sophia by the Muslims Caliphate of Ottomans in the conquered Constantinople. "Trusts must be returned to the rightful owners" in both cases."