{"id":4225,"date":"2021-02-02T07:58:11","date_gmt":"2021-02-02T05:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/n\/?p=4225"},"modified":"2024-02-10T07:57:21","modified_gmt":"2024-02-10T07:57:21","slug":"letter-from-a-greek-orthodox-christian-to-imran-n-hosein","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/letter-from-a-greek-orthodox-christian-to-imran-n-hosein\/","title":{"rendered":"LETTER FROM A GREEK ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN TO IMRAN N. HOSEIN"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear\u00a0Sir\u00a0(I\u00a0do\u00a0not\u00a0know\u00a0how\u00a0to\u00a0officially\u00a0address\u00a0you.)<\/p>\n

My name is Z….. P…….. I am Greek and a man who hopes, that
\none\u00a0day,\u00a0will\u00a0claim,\u00a0that\u00a0he\u00a0tried\u00a0his\u00a0best\u00a0to\u00a0live\u00a0his\u00a0life\u00a0as\u00a0a
\nGreek\u00a0Orthodox\u00a0Christian.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0have\u00a0recently\u00a0“discovered”\u00a0you\u00a0through\u00a0a\u00a0video\u00a0with\u00a0Greek
\nsubtitles,\u00a0in\u00a0which\u00a0you\u00a0were\u00a0talking\u00a0about\u00a0Hagia\u00a0Sophia\u00a0and
\nConstantinople.\u00a0You\u00a0cannot\u00a0even\u00a0imagine\u00a0my\u00a0surprise.\u00a0You\u00a0Sir,\u00a0were\u00a0a
\nparadox\u00a0to\u00a0me.<\/p>\n

Let\u00a0me\u00a0explain\u00a0myself.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0Greece,\u00a0we\u00a0know\u00a0of\u00a0Islam\u00a0from\u00a0only\u00a0three\u00a0different\u00a0occasions.
\nThe\u00a0first\u00a0one\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0Turks\u00a0who\u00a0committed\u00a0genocides\u00a0and\u00a0oppressed
\nmillions\u00a0of\u00a0people\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0past,\u00a0and\u00a0they\u00a0are\u00a0bullying\u00a0countries
\nnowadays.\u00a0The\u00a0second\u00a0one\u00a0is\u00a0ISIS,\u00a0which\u00a0require\u00a0no\u00a0further
\nexplanation,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0third\u00a0and\u00a0most\u00a0recent\u00a0occasion\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0turning
\nof\u00a0Hagia\u00a0Sophia\u00a0into\u00a0a\u00a0Mosque.\u00a0Due\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0third\u00a0reason,\u00a0we\u00a0have
\nlearned\u00a0about\u00a0the\u00a0law\u00a0of\u00a0conquest,\u00a0that\u00a0all\u00a0scholars\u00a0of\u00a0Islam
\nadvertised\u00a0constantly\u00a0in\u00a0all\u00a0social\u00a0media.<\/p>\n

Constantinople\u00a0and\u00a0Hagia\u00a0Sophia\u00a0are\u00a0very\u00a0dear\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0hearts\u00a0of
\nGreeks.\u00a0They\u00a0are\u00a0not\u00a0only\u00a0symbols\u00a0of\u00a0our\u00a0Orthodoxy,\u00a0but\u00a0they\u00a0are
\nsymbols\u00a0of\u00a0Hellenism\u00a0as\u00a0well.\u00a0We\u00a0Geeks\u00a0consider\u00a0the\u00a0Byzantine\u00a0empire
\nas\u00a0a\u00a0Greek\u00a0empire.\u00a0An\u00a0empire\u00a0that\u00a0started\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0Roman\u00a0one,\u00a0but\u00a0later
\non\u00a0was\u00a0inhabited\u00a0almost\u00a0exclusively\u00a0by\u00a0Greeks,\u00a0adopted\u00a0the\u00a0Greek
\nlanguage\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0official\u00a0one,\u00a0and\u00a0of\u00a0course\u00a0the\u00a0Greek\u00a0culture\u00a0was
\nthe\u00a0dominant.\u00a0That\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0reason\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0do\u00a0not\u00a0trust\u00a0Western\u00a0Europe
\nso\u00a0much.\u00a0Not\u00a0only\u00a0because\u00a0of\u00a0their\u00a0behaviour\u00a0during\u00a0the\u00a0Greek
\neconomic\u00a0crisis,\u00a0or\u00a0because\u00a0they\u00a0seem\u00a0to\u00a0tolerate\u00a0Turkey’s
\nirrational,\u00a0and\u00a0against\u00a0every\u00a0international\u00a0law,\u00a0claims\u00a0in\u00a0the
\nAegean\u00a0sea.\u00a0It\u00a0is\u00a0also\u00a0hard\u00a0to\u00a0forget\u00a0that\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0fourth\u00a0crusade,\u00a0a
\nsequence\u00a0of\u00a0economic\u00a0and\u00a0political\u00a0events\u00a0culminated\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Crusader
\narmy’s\u00a01204\u00a0Sack\u00a0of\u00a0Constantinople,\u00a0the\u00a0capital\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Greek
\nChristian-controlled\u00a0Byzantine\u00a0Empire,\u00a0rather\u00a0than\u00a0Egypt\u00a0as
\noriginally\u00a0planned.<\/p>\n

As\u00a0you\u00a0understand\u00a0our\u00a0experiences\u00a0of\u00a0Islam\u00a0were\u00a0not\u00a0the\u00a0best.\u00a0But
\neven so, we are not na\u00efve people. We know how religion can be
\nmanipulated\u00a0for\u00a0political\u00a0reasons\u00a0and\u00a0we\u00a0can\u00a0differentiate\u00a0and
\nisolate\u00a0the\u00a0concepts\u00a0of\u00a0Islam,\u00a0Islamist,\u00a0extreme\u00a0Islamist\u00a0and
\nMuslim.\u00a0However,\u00a0the\u00a0“law\u00a0of\u00a0conquest”\u00a0in\u00a0its\u00a0popular\u00a0interpretation
\nhit\u00a0the\u00a0spot.\u00a0The\u00a0Muslim\u00a0scholars\u00a0that\u00a0called\u00a0upon\u00a0that\u00a0law,\u00a0on\u00a0the
\noccasion\u00a0of\u00a0Hagia\u00a0Sophia,\u00a0gave\u00a0to\u00a0me\u00a0the\u00a0impression\u00a0that\u00a0in\u00a0Islam
\nthere\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0moral\u00a0or\u00a0divine\u00a0justification\u00a0for\u00a0war.\u00a0Any\u00a0kind\u00a0of\u00a0war.
\nEvery\u00a0time\u00a0a\u00a0Muslim\u00a0in\u00a0\u00a0the\u00a0social\u00a0media\u00a0claimed\u00a0that\u00a0Islam\u00a0is\u00a0“the
\nreligion\u00a0of\u00a0peace”\u00a0it\u00a0seemed\u00a0as\u00a0an\u00a0oxymoron\u00a0to\u00a0me.<\/p>\n

And\u00a0then,\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0nowhere,\u00a0here\u00a0you\u00a0are,\u00a0saying\u00a0what\u00a0you\u00a0say,\u00a0and
\nmost\u00a0importantly,\u00a0acting\u00a0on\u00a0what\u00a0you\u00a0say.\u00a0As\u00a0I\u00a0said,\u00a0you\u00a0cannot
\nimagine\u00a0my\u00a0surprise.\u00a0My\u00a0very,\u00a0very\u00a0pleasant\u00a0surprise.\u00a0You\u00a0sir,\u00a0are
\nthe\u00a0only\u00a0one\u00a0that\u00a0I\u00a0know\u00a0of,\u00a0that\u00a0can\u00a0really\u00a0claim\u00a0that\u00a0his\u00a0Islam,
\nis\u00a0a\u00a0religion\u00a0of\u00a0peace.<\/p>\n

You\u00a0have\u00a0chosen\u00a0a\u00a0path\u00a0in\u00a0your\u00a0life.\u00a0A\u00a0hard\u00a0path\u00a0that\u00a0puts\u00a0a\u00a0huge
\nburden\u00a0on\u00a0your\u00a0shoulders.\u00a0Your\u00a0obligations\u00a0are\u00a0not\u00a0only\u00a0to\u00a0yourself,
\nbut\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0rest\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0world.\u00a0Thank\u00a0you\u00a0for\u00a0your\u00a0views\u00a0and\u00a0logic.\u00a0I
\ndo\u00a0not\u00a0know\u00a0whether\u00a0you\u00a0are\u00a0the\u00a0exception\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0rule,\u00a0or\u00a0not.\u00a0But
\nif\u00a0you\u00a0are\u00a0the\u00a0exception,\u00a0then\u00a0you\u00a0have\u00a0one\u00a0more\u00a0obligation.\u00a0Your
\nview\u00a0of\u00a0Islam\u00a0should\u00a0stop\u00a0being\u00a0an\u00a0exception,\u00a0and\u00a0become\u00a0the\u00a0rule.<\/p>\n

With\u00a0Honor<\/p>\n

Z….. P……<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dear\u00a0Sir\u00a0(I\u00a0do\u00a0not\u00a0know\u00a0how\u00a0to\u00a0officially\u00a0address\u00a0you.) My name is Z….. P…….. I am Greek and a man who hopes, that one\u00a0day,\u00a0will\u00a0claim,\u00a0that\u00a0he\u00a0tried\u00a0his\u00a0best\u00a0to\u00a0live\u00a0his\u00a0life\u00a0as\u00a0a Greek\u00a0Orthodox\u00a0Christian. I\u00a0have\u00a0recently\u00a0“discovered”\u00a0you\u00a0through\u00a0a\u00a0video\u00a0with\u00a0Greek subtitles,\u00a0in\u00a0which\u00a0you\u00a0were\u00a0talking\u00a0about\u00a0Hagia\u00a0Sophia\u00a0and Constantinople.\u00a0You\u00a0cannot\u00a0even\u00a0imagine\u00a0my\u00a0surprise.\u00a0You\u00a0Sir,\u00a0were\u00a0a paradox\u00a0to\u00a0me. Let\u00a0me\u00a0explain\u00a0myself. In\u00a0Greece,\u00a0we\u00a0know\u00a0of\u00a0Islam\u00a0from\u00a0only\u00a0three\u00a0different\u00a0occasions. The\u00a0first\u00a0one\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0Turks\u00a0who\u00a0committed\u00a0genocides\u00a0and\u00a0oppressed millions\u00a0of\u00a0people\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0past,\u00a0and\u00a0they\u00a0are\u00a0bullying\u00a0countries nowadays.\u00a0The\u00a0second\u00a0one\u00a0is\u00a0ISIS,\u00a0which\u00a0require\u00a0no\u00a0further explanation,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0third\u00a0and\u00a0most\u00a0recent\u00a0occasion\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0turning of\u00a0Hagia\u00a0Sophia\u00a0into\u00a0a\u00a0Mosque.\u00a0Due\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0third\u00a0reason,\u00a0we\u00a0have learned\u00a0about\u00a0the\u00a0law\u00a0of\u00a0conquest,\u00a0that\u00a0all\u00a0scholars\u00a0of\u00a0Islam advertised\u00a0constantly\u00a0in\u00a0all\u00a0social\u00a0media. Constantinople\u00a0and\u00a0Hagia\u00a0Sophia\u00a0are\u00a0very\u00a0dear\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0hearts\u00a0of Greeks.\u00a0They\u00a0are\u00a0not\u00a0only\u00a0symbols\u00a0of\u00a0our\u00a0Orthodoxy,\u00a0but\u00a0they\u00a0are symbols\u00a0of\u00a0Hellenism\u00a0as\u00a0well.\u00a0We\u00a0Geeks\u00a0consider\u00a0the\u00a0Byzantine\u00a0empire as\u00a0a\u00a0Greek\u00a0empire.\u00a0An\u00a0empire\u00a0that\u00a0started\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0Roman\u00a0one,\u00a0but\u00a0later on\u00a0was\u00a0inhabited\u00a0almost\u00a0exclusively\u00a0by\u00a0Greeks,\u00a0adopted\u00a0the\u00a0Greek language\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0official\u00a0one,\u00a0and\u00a0of\u00a0course\u00a0the\u00a0Greek\u00a0culture\u00a0was the\u00a0dominant.\u00a0That\u00a0is\u00a0the\u00a0reason\u00a0that\u00a0we\u00a0do\u00a0not\u00a0trust\u00a0Western\u00a0Europe so\u00a0much.\u00a0Not\u00a0only\u00a0because\u00a0of\u00a0their\u00a0behaviour\u00a0during\u00a0the\u00a0Greek economic\u00a0crisis,\u00a0or\u00a0because\u00a0they\u00a0seem\u00a0to\u00a0tolerate\u00a0Turkey’s irrational,\u00a0and\u00a0against\u00a0every\u00a0international\u00a0law,\u00a0claims\u00a0in\u00a0the Aegean\u00a0sea.\u00a0It\u00a0is\u00a0also\u00a0hard\u00a0to\u00a0forget\u00a0that\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0fourth\u00a0crusade,\u00a0a sequence\u00a0of\u00a0economic\u00a0and\u00a0political\u00a0events\u00a0culminated\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0Crusader army’s\u00a01204\u00a0Sack\u00a0of\u00a0Constantinople,\u00a0the\u00a0capital\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Greek Christian-controlled\u00a0Byzantine\u00a0Empire,\u00a0rather\u00a0than\u00a0Egypt\u00a0as originally\u00a0planned. As\u00a0you\u00a0understand\u00a0our\u00a0experiences\u00a0of\u00a0Islam\u00a0were\u00a0not\u00a0the\u00a0best.\u00a0But even so, we are not na\u00efve people. We know how religion can be manipulated\u00a0for\u00a0political\u00a0reasons\u00a0and\u00a0we\u00a0can\u00a0differentiate\u00a0and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4225"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4225"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4225\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4226,"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4225\/revisions\/4226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/imranhosein.org\/o\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}