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The long genocide

Notre Dame's Gothic aspiration

Became a symbol of the French nation.

It took one hundred years

To build Notre Dame cathedral

1160 - 1260.

Within two hundred years

Of its completion

The largest cathedral in the Christian world

St Sophia's cathedral in Constantinople

Built to the glory of God

In 537AD,

The centre of Orthodox Christianity,

Was converted into an Ottoman mosque.

In 1453

This centre of Orthodox Christianity

Had ceased to be.

Minarets were added to the cathedral.

Constantinople became Istanbul.

In 2019 there are 15 million Muslims in Istanbul

And 2000 Christians - suvivors

Of the longest series of genocides

In the history of the world

Which continue to this day.

In 2014 Daesh launched an offensive

Against the Assyrian Christians of the Nineveh Plain 

Near Mosul in Iraq

This was nothing new

The Christian community in Iraq has been under attack

For 1300 years

It is a miracle that they have survived

So long. 

 

Image result for St Sophia Constantinople with cross

◄ Love in a police state

The drawing of a torch ►

Comments

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keith jeffries

Tue 16th Apr 2019 16:25

John,

As I began to read this work my mind returned to William Dalrymple´s book, "From the Holy Mountain" which is an interesting historical travelogue encompassing the present day world within the confines of the Byzantine Empire. Armenia, Constantinople, the Levant are brought into context along with Palestine where the Christian populations have been systematically eradicated. These atrocities, most notably Armenia have passed by almost unnoticed until now and vehemently denied by the Turkish Government. The remnant in Constantinople to this day suffer perscution and hardship at the hands of their muslim neighbours. The Ecumenical Patriarch still resides there but is almost under House Arrest and shunned from any participation in the national life of the country. A sad tale of woe which has passed by as the world has looked the other way.

Thank you for this reminder
Keith

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