Turkey
Mustafa Akyol argues for Islamic reform from within
By Joseph Hammond — May 18, 2021
(RNS) — His new book calls for a revival of rational thought in Islamic theology.
What the mythical figure of Şahmeran in Turkey represents and why activists use it
By Christiane Gruber — March 1, 2021
(The Conversation) — At the center of recent protests over civil liberties and religious sensibilities in Turkey looms a half-woman, half-snake figure known as Şahmeran.
Why Hagia Sophia remains a potent symbol of spiritual and political authority
By Anna Bigelow — July 24, 2020
(RNS) — The Hagia Sophia has shifted identity with every change in power and will likely continue to do so.
Turkey’s president formally makes Hagia Sophia — a former cathedral — a mosque
By Suzan Fraser — July 10, 2020
(AP) — Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that the sixth century Byzantine building, a museum since the 1930s, would open to Muslim worship.
President Erdogan, preserve Hagia Sophia as a church
By Mike Ghouse — July 8, 2020
(RNS) — The Quran says that God’s name is extolled abundantly in churches, synagogues and mosques, which is reason enough to protect all such places of worship. But respect for others’ holy places extends deep into Muslim history.
Congress must reauthorize religious freedom agency for prisoners of faith
By Andrew Brunson — December 17, 2019
(RNS) — Little more than a year ago, I stood in a Turkish courtroom facing 35 years in prison. I was saved in part by a little-known U.S. commission that is facing extinction if Congress fails to act.
Aid workers Jessica and Jeremy Courtney on the fallout from Trump’s Syria moves
By Roxanne Stone — October 22, 2019
(RNS) — 'They were refugees, they did what the world wanted them to do. They went back home, they tried to rebuild and then we just opened the gates for more terror to come back again into their lives after they were trying to rebuild.'
Christian aid groups vow to stay to help after US sudden withdrawal from Syria
By Emily McFarlan Miller — October 22, 2019
(RNS) — Christian aid organizations in Syria have sprung into action in response to the new conflict in the region and are vowing to stay with the Kurds as the crisis grows.
On Sukkot, think of the Kurds
By Jeffrey Salkin — October 17, 2019
(RNS) — While, as Tom Petty sang, we don’t have to live like refugees, we do have to remember what it means to live like a refugee.
Pompeo’s ‘Christian leader’ speech goes only as far as Trump allows
By Eric Atcheson — October 16, 2019
(RNS) — It takes a strong sense of compartmentalization to square Christianity’s ethical demands for truth-telling, integrity and human rights with the Trump White House’s elastic relationship with the truth.
Andrew Brunson tells of ‘fight for my faith’ in Turkey
By Adelle M. Banks — October 14, 2019
(RNS) — A year after being freed, Brunson spoke of his appreciation for his freedom and his continuing concern for the people of Turkey.
Turkish attack on Syria endangers a remarkable democratic experiment by the Kurds
By James L. Gelvin — October 11, 2019
(The Conversation) — In a region where religion and politics are often intertwined, the Kurdish state is secular, and the current conflict threatens to end one of the only such democracies in the Middle East.
How Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey’s Gulenists fell from power to persecution
By Ahmet T. Kuru — August 20, 2019
(The Conversation) — In both countries, homegrown Islamic movements have struggled to survive in authoritarian regimes that exert strong control over religious practice.
Brunson at religious freedom summit: ‘It’s wonderful that I can be here in person’
By Adelle M. Banks — July 17, 2019
WASHINGTON (RNS) — Brunson said his detention in Turkey made him value his religious liberty more deeply. 'I was isolated. I was the only Christian there, so to be back with other Christians is so important.'
New Haven mosque struggles to resume Ramadan rituals after arson attack
By Rhonda Roumani — May 22, 2019
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (RNS) — A week after the blaze, with the cameras and politicians gone, the members of a tightly knit Turkish community began to feel the weight of their loss and the reconstruction effort ahead.
