New York:

Indian Christian Forum, USA,  an advocacy forum for the Religious Freedom for minority Christians in India, expressed sincere regret over Turkey’s decision to revoke the museum status of Hagia Sophia and converting it into a mosque. “What President Erdogan has done in this regard is to ignore the sentiment of millions of Christians worldwide and offend their sensibilities,” said Mr. Thomas T. Oommen, President of the ICF, USA. “We are deeply concerned that this unilateral action may exasperate the relationship between two of the world’s major religions and further alienate the faithful,” Mr. Oommen added.

Hagia Sophia, built by the Emperor Justinian in 537, was once the most massive and grandest Church in all Christendom. It was converted to a mosque in 1453 by Ottomans with minarets placed around its perimeter, its Byzantine mosaics covered in whitewash. A 1934 decree by Turkey’s secularist founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk made Hagia Sophia into a museum and UNESCO recognizes it as a great cultural landmark and world heritage site.

The Director-General of UNESCO in a statement regretted the decision and said that the Turkish decision was made without any form of dialogue or prior notice. UNESCO has also called upon the Turkish authorities to initiate dialogue without delay, to prevent any detrimental effect on the universal value of this exceptional heritage. Pope Francis stood in silence for several minutes after talking about Hagia Sophia at his weekly Angelus prayer.

We also join the World Council of Churches in expressing our dismay at this turn of events and sharing the same sentiment that the integrity of this religious, architectural, and historic jewel of religious freedom, tolerance, and diversity must be preserved.

Therefore, ICF, USA urgently appeals to President Erdogan to reconsider and reverse this decision on Hagia Sophia in the interest of promoting mutual respect, dialogue, and harmony while avoiding further mistrust and age-old rivalries.