Hamza Ali Abbasi gave his two cents on the recent decision to turn the historical artifact, Hagia Sophia in Turkey into a mosque.
The decision of the highest court in Turkey to approve the plans of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to turn Hagia Sophia into a mosque has taken the world by storm. The decision stimulated social media globally with humongous reactions pouring in.
Pakistani actor also Hamza Ali Abbasi also spoke on the subject. However, the actor did not name the event in his tweets. But his statement referred to the incident- that has shaken the east and west.
The decision has racked up mixed responses from the Muslim world. A large number of people hailed the decision of the Turkish courts. They are praising Recep Tayyip Erdogan for reviving the glory of Islam and Muslims.
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Meanwhile, the seculars are slamming the decision, calling it an attempt to annihilate the inter-faith harmony. They argue that the decision may have unthinkable ramifications for Turkey and the rest of the world soon.
Hamza Ali Abbasi’s take on Hagia Sophia
In a series of tweets, Abbasi quoted precedence set by Islamic Caliphs like Hazrat Umar RA of how to respect the non-Muslims. Also how they protected the religious sites of non-Muslims during their reign. He said he read about how Islamic Caliphs refused to offer prayers at the places of worship of non-Muslims conquered during the battle.
“I often read abt how Umar Khattab R.A refused Patriarch Sophronius’ offer to oray in Church of Holy Sepulchre in conquered Jerusalem, so Muslims won’t later convert it into a mosque. I read about how the Sahaba R.A didnt harm the Bamiyaan Buddha statues in conquered Khorasaan,” wrote Hamza Ali Abbasi on Twitter.
The actor seems disappointed with the decision to turn Hagia Sophia- a symbol of religious inclusivity in the heartland of Turkey, Istanbul, into a mosque. Moreover, he even regretted a cross-section of Muslims celebrating it as a victory of Muslim Ummah. The actor-turned-religious preacher addressed them as the ‘Muslims of today’ in his tweet. He also mentioned the strong opposition to the construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad.
https://twitter.com/iamhamzaabbasi/status/1281652813387329536?s=20
“And then i see those Muslims today… Thumping their chests and proclaiming victory of Islam by converting churches into mosques & stopping a small mandir from construction… Ahh… No wonder Allah has given us Muslim the azaab of zillat and mehkoomi in this world,” the actor wrote in a tweet that reflected his disappointment.
https://twitter.com/iamhamzaabbasi/status/1281656681756229636?s=20
The actor said that since Allah has disgraced the Muslims in the world since they have forsaken the core values of Islam.
Hamza Ali Abbasi quotes Quran verses on Hagia Sophia
“In the last tweet, he stated a verse from the Holy Quran. “If Allah had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues and mosques, where Allah’s name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed” (Sura 22, verse 40),” concluded Hamza Ali Abbasi.
Hamza Ali vouched for a Hindu temple in Isb
A few days ago, Hamza Ali Abbasi also spoke in favor of the Hindu temple in Islamabad. While admonishing the backlash on the decision to construct a Hindu temple in Islamabad Hamza Ali Abbasi said there exists immense religious discrimination in Pakistan. He expressed these views after CDA stopped the construction of the Hindu temple in Islamabad. The authorities halted the construction of the temple after a severe backlash from the cross-section of the society.
Read more: Can Hindu temple be built with taxpayer’s money in Pakistan: Hamza Ali Abbasi
A bevy of people protested the construction of the temple in Islamabad. A swarm of people condemned the decision of the CDA to halt the construction of the temple. They expressed their angst under the #MandirInIslamabad and #MandirTauBanega on Twitter. Hamza Ali Abbasi who has off late become very religious and has stopped acting for the past several months. He came up openly to express disappointment against all those who are opposing the construction of the temple.
“Pakistan is not an empire or a kingdom. We Muslims didn’t conquer Pakistan. We are a Muslim majority nation and state,” the Parwaaz Hai Junoon star wrote. “On 14th August 1947, everyone who resided in the boundary of Pakistan became an equal citizen,” the actor wrote on Twitter.
He went on to add, “No more hypocrisy, I admit that there is massive religious discrimination in Pakistan.”
Actor supports religious freedom
The actor, however, did not directly mention the conflict of the construction of the Hindu temple in Islamabad. But his tweets hinted at that the actor is talking about the issue. The actor vouched for religious freedom in Pakistan in his Twitter message. He stated that since Pakistan is a democratic state and not an empire or a Kingdom, every citizen residing in the country has equal rights.
While Hamza Ali Abbasi stands for religious freedom in Pakistan, he will not condone the act of turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque.