The prospect of a large-scale invasion of Rafah, where around 1.2 million civilians are sheltering, has sparked intensifying global alarm
Hagia Sophia was completed in 537 as the main cathedral under the Byzantine empire until the Ottoman rulers conquered Istanbul in the 15th century and converted it into a mosque. Modern Turkey's founding father, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk reconverted it into a museum in 1934 as the country experimented with secular principles, hoping to anchor itself in the western world. But, with the Erdogan coming to power, the country has seen a nationalistic revival. Secularism has been questioned as the country seeks to find it feet in Ottoman history, a retracing of steps into the past that has put it in the crosshairs of history. So, Erdogan is now imposing his ideological agenda in the country and flexing its muscles regionally with its military adventurism in Syria and Libya to shore up his waning popularity and consolidate votes for his party. But, Erdogan would do well to pause, reflect, and realise that revisionism will only lead to strife and confrontation when there is urgent need for global cooperation. Noura bint Mohamed Al Kaabi, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth, and Chairperson of the National Committee for Education, Culture and Science, said that cultural heritage is a human legacy that must be preserved. Hagia Sophia is a World Heritage under the Unesco. Such sites are the "common heritage of all peoples and cultures," the UAE minister said. The past should guide us, not destroy what people and nations have built over centuries. Hagia Sophia will remain a global icon, a testament to the human spirit of peace and harmony. No political decision can change its status for eternity.
The prospect of a large-scale invasion of Rafah, where around 1.2 million civilians are sheltering, has sparked intensifying global alarm
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