Category Archives: Islamic ritual as a weapon

Erdogan’s ambition to be Caliph of the New Ottomans becomes more obvious at Hagia Sophia

Posted on by

From Google translate, the description of the video below:

There was great excitement before the first Friday prayers performed in Hagia Sophia Mosque.

Ali Erba?, the Head of Religious Affairs, who went to the pulpit to read the sermon before the prayer, had a sword with the symbol of the conquest.

CONVENTION TRADITION
In the Conquest tradition of the Ottoman period, two green banners were hung on the pulpit of the mosque as a symbol of conquest. A sword was placed at the entrance of the pulpit.

Turkish Diyanet head: Sermons with swords ‘traditional’

Turkey’s religious chief on Friday explained that swords were traditionally held during religious sermons delivered at weekly Muslim prayers as a symbol of conquest.

After leading the Friday prayer at the Hagia Sophia Mosque — the first prayer following its reversion to being a place of Muslim worship — Ali Erbas told reporters: “Khutbahs [Friday sermons] had been delivered with a sword, without interruption, for 481 years. If Allah permits, we will resume this tradition from now on.”

“This is a tradition in mosques that are the symbol of conquests,” explained Erbas, who heads Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), adding that the Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of those symbols of conquest.

The Hagia Sophia served as a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul, and a mosque from 1453 to 1934 — nearly 500 years — and most recently as a museum for 86 years. […]

Top Imam Ali Erba? climbed up staircase of Hagia Sophia’s pulpit with Ottoman sword

Ali Erba?, the top imam and president of the controversial Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey, used an Ottoman sword to climb up the staircase of the pulpit of Hagia Sophia.

His move was not accidental. As the Turkish journalist Abdullah Bozkurt points out, this is a highly symbolic movement that fulfils Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman aspirations.

“The longing of our nation that had become a deep wound is over,” said Ali Erba? in his sermon, “the doors of the Hagia Sophia Mosque as in other mosques of the country will be open to all the servants of Allah.” He even warned that “those who touch the fundamental goods and values are cursed.”

Sermons with swords part of Turkey’s tradition, head of Diyanet says

Turkey’s religious chief on Friday explained that swords were traditionally held during religious sermons delivered at weekly Muslim prayers as a symbol of conquest.

After leading the Friday prayer at the Hagia Sophia Mosque – the first prayer following its reversion to being a place of Muslim worship – Ali Erba? told reporters: “Khutbahs (Friday sermons) have been delivered with a sword, without interruption, for 481 years. If Allah permits, we will resume this tradition from now on.”

 

“This is a tradition in mosques that are the symbol of conquests,” explained Erba?, who heads Turkey’s Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet), adding that the Hagia Sophia Mosque is one of those symbols of conquest.

The Hagia Sophia served as a church for 916 years until the conquest of Istanbul, and a mosque from 1453 to 1934 – nearly 500 years – and most recently as a museum for 86 years.

H/T M.

The church committee voted yes to Islam: “Great for more people to meet the love of Allah”

Posted on by

An original translation by Tania Groth with much thanks!

From Swedish site, Friatider:

During the church meeting in November, the Swedish Democrats’ (SD) critical motion to vote on the Islamic call for prayer was voted down, according to the Christian newspaper Dagen(The Day). Among the arguments of the other participants was the opportunity for more people to meet the “love of Allah”.

The church committee is the highest decision-making body of the Swedish Church.

Prior to the November meeting, the Swedish Democrats, who had 24 mandates, had suggested that the Church of Sweden should take a critical stance towards the Islamic call to prayer.

However, the motion was voted down by a large majority. 206 voted against [the Sweden Democrats] and 26 for [the call to prayer].

Among those who argued against the motion there were Artemis Lumarker from the Open Church, a nomination group within the Swedish Church.

“Imagine how amazing that more people can meet the love of Allah and God, and what we get out of the meeting with each other,” he said, according to Dagen, and also claimed that SD is trying to “dehumanize” other people.

The open church is working towards the “vision of an open church where all people are welcome”, they write on their website.

A number of people engaged in the discussion during the meeting.

On the one hand there was Aron Emilsson of the Swedish Democrats, who said that the Church of Sweden was renouncing its own faith by supporting the Islamic call to prayer. To do this should not be the task of the church, was his opinion.

His party colleague Camilla Berard Granström argued that Islam has spread more quickly with the help of the Swedish Church.

On the other hand, the Social Democrat Isak Öhrlund explained to Dagen, the church should be “a progressive and open force” in society, and therefore one should not be critical of a call to prayer.

[Editor: Below, a little preview for those virtue screaming Swedes]