Spaces that symbolize religious and cultural dynamics are an indicator of the connection they establish with the values of society. The love and affection of people to these places feed on beliefs and values. Muslims pray for the liberation of Masjid al-Aqsa, write poetry, make mani and show their submission to their Creators through this sacred place. They love the Kaaba and turn their directions here and recite their servants in every prayer. Because these places are not dull and soulless places built from stone and soil. These places are not structures that attract attention with their architectural features. On the contrary, they are spiritual dynamics that symbolize the beliefs and values of Muslims in terms of their mission and meaning. Recently opened to worship, Hagia Sophia is an important value and cultural heritage in terms of its historical mission. For this reason, the opening of Hagia Sophia to worship made us all happy.
As you may recall, Hagia Sophia was a church built by the Eastern Roman Empire and was built three times. At the center of political and cultural turmoil at that time, Hagia Sophia was destroyed many times and rebuilt during the reign of Emperor Justinianos.
After Fatih Sultan Mehmet conquered Istanbul, Hagia Sophia was converted into a mosque and it was offered to the public by adding madrasah, library and soup kitchen to the mosque. Hagia Sophia was considered the largest and most important mosque of the Ottoman State until the Sultan Ahmet Mosque was built. However, after the proclamation of the republic, the essential values of the people began to be eroded and impoverished, and in this case, Hagia Sophia got its share and was closed in 1931. Between 1997 and 2002, Hagia Sophia was restored and included in the UNESO World Heritage List. However, our connection with this place, which is a cultural heritage, has strengthened day by day and the issue of opening Hagia Sophia to worship has never fallen off the agenda.
We must admit that our National Vision brothers had great efforts and effects in opening Hagia Sophia for worship. As a matter of fact, in the statements made by Saadet Party General Chairman Temel Karamollaoğlu in the first minutes of the Hagia Sophia decision, he emphasized this effort and said, "I appreciate this decision of the Council of State, this decision has been taken in the direction of our nation's long-standing desire."
Unfortunately, we see that by diluting this important decision, those who cause polarization and who want to turn it into a political show, are sharing the grounds for conflict. Instead of seeing this as an opportunity and being thankful, people who exhibit a hamam approach in the style of “We did, we do, we can handle everything” are unfortunate about reading this historical event correctly. We see that these heedless people do not have enough to grasp the cultural and political background of this decision.
Hagia Sophia is an important value for us, it is a historical heritage, in order to restore this heritage to its former identity, we must have a material and spiritual equipment. In other words, it is not enough to only physically have these places that are important to us, besides, we have to review what we are and where we stand and reject the masterhood of the global mentalities that turn us into passive slaves and find rooted solutions to our economic, political and cultural impasse. Otherwise, if we have lost our spirit of faith, consciousness and jihad, neither the slogans we throw nor the decisions we make will make sense, right?