Quiz 4
Umut Uras news article explains how people around the world feel about the new Turkey’s court rule invalidating the 1934 order which turned Hagia Sophia into a museum. For almost ninety years (1934-2020), people from different religious beliefs were welcomed to the Hagia Sophia museum which has a history of back and forth from cathedral to mosque to museum and just now back to be a mosque once again. Below is the timeline:
-Greek Orthodox cathedral (537–1204)
-Roman Catholic cathedral (1204–1261)
-Greek Orthodox cathedral (1261–1453)
-Mosque (1453–1931)
-Museum (1935–2020)
-Mosque (2020–present)
I have learned in the World History class this Summer that Christians and Muslims have had many encounters throughout history when they competed for religious power. The Turks' turn is back now with the new rule. Erdogan, the Islamic leader and Turkish president, just got the authority to turn the museum into a working mosque. Non-Muslims, especially Christians, disagree with this change because they know this rule has once again separated and favored the Muslim over the Christian world. It will also prevent Non-Muslim communities from visiting Hagia Sophia and experiencing the incomparable history of this museum. It has benefited millions of people who appreciated its beauty since it became a museum in 1934.
Muslims, on the other hand, are celebrating this event as a major conquest and one of them comment: “Turkey will no longer be the same. The time has come for it rightfully commands its sovereignty. The spirit of the Ottomans has been revived in the hearts of the Turks. Allahu Ekber! What a time to be alive in!" This commentator reminds me of author Strayer’s words in Chapter 12 “The Islamic World of the Fifteenth Century.” He said that when the Ottoman Turks strategically stormed the walls of Constantinople in 1453 they celebrated and said: “Constantinople was now a Muslim city, capital of the Ottoman empire, and Hagia Sophia became a mosque. A momentous change had occurred in the relationship between the world of Islam and that of Christendom” (p. 519). Christianity and Islam originated from the same Abrahamic roots but since the start of Islam in the seventh century, they have competed for the religious power. I disagree with this rivalry because I appreciate diversity and strive to respect others' religious choices.
I liked how the Hagia Sophia museum brought people together under a roof that served for all peoples. If I hadn’t learned about the religious struggles of the past in the World History class this summer, I would probably not have understood the importance of the change to the Hagia Sophia Museum. Now I know that this decision was made to divide Muslim from Non-Muslim worlds. I stand with Razan Ibraheem and many other social media users who believe that Hagia Sofia belongs to humanity and that the UNESCO World Heritage Site should have stayed neutral.
Anne Mawathe's article shows myths and truths the reasons Africans have been chosen to be tested with the vaccine trials. It includes details on “Colonial mentality,” “Compensation pay-out,” “Infodemic,” “Decades of under-funding” and “Africa risks getting 'locked out'.” My first impression was that the article was going to emphasize the scientists disregard for African human race as a result of colonial mentality and how richer countries pay poorer families to convince them to be guinea pigs when doing trials for new vaccines. Instead, the article was written to educate readers on the misconception about “Why Africans should take part in the vaccine trials.” Due to the fake news, also called ‘Infodemic’ and deprivation of funds for scientific research, the Africans run the risk of not having access to the supply of approved vaccine early enough compared to richer countries, who are also eager to cure their own communities.
Learning World History this summer has allowed me to connect the article’s details to the African Colonization times and the frequency of pandemics in the world. The negative perception about scientists wanting to test the potential COVID-19 vaccine in Africans is connected to the colonial thinking times when Africans’ race were seen as inferior. They suffered a lot, especially in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, when countries like France, Britain, Germany, Italy and Portugal invaded Africa. These Europeans not only abused and killed many natives but also exploited them treating them like animals and using them as slaves.
These traumatic times left many scars in African communities which make them hesitate about the purpose of these vaccine trials and doubt that it is to benefit them. Thankfully, organizations like the World Health Organizations (WHO) and Uganda's National Council of Science and Technology (UNCST) strive to assure Africans are safe and only being tested with approved products through the right safety procedures.
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