Police detain Turks protesting Pope at Aya Sofya

[struggle4progress]

Dozens of young Turkish men, chanting "Allahu Akbar" .., occupied Istanbul's renowned Aya Sofya museum on Wednesday in a protest ahead of Pope Benedict's visit to the former church next week.

One officer sprayed tear gas as police detained the men, pursuing them in the darkness below the dome of the 6th century building, one of Turkey's top tourist attractions. Police arrested 39 demonstrators shouting anti-Pope slogans.

Television images showed the young men, illuminated by lamps in the darkness, performing Muslim prayers. Police looked on before detaining them. There were no reports of any injuries.

The Pope's controversial visit to the predominantly Muslim country is expected to trigger more protests from Islamist and nationalist groups before he arrives in Turkey on November 28.

Reuters http://english.sabah.com.tr/E2C071B0DECE46628616AA4D418C3884.html

[nealmhughes]

1. I know dozens of Turks and none of them are "good" Muslims. They want to be skeptical

Europeans with someone to perform the necessary rites of passage.

Ataturk's magic was his divorce with the Caliphate and turning the Turkish Republic secular and replacing Turkish nationalism with Ottoman decay.

I have a feeling that they react in horror at the increasing Islamicization afoot in Turkey, but right now they are too busy enjoying a holiday meal with lots of booze in Alabama to care about what some guys with turbans are doing in Stambul.

[charles22]

2. Another reason EU keeping out Turkey.

Main reason: Turks are barbarians and still deny the Genocide of 1.5 million Armenians.

[Odin2005]

3. "Aya Sofya" Uh, it's called the Hagia Sophia here in the West, why do they use the Turkish name...

when most people who know about it know it by the Greek name?