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As the time for afternoon prayers approaches, Onder Soy puts on a white robe and cap and switches on the microphone in a small 19th century room adjoining the Hagia Sophia. Soon, Soy’s melodic call to prayer rings out over a square filled with tourists hurrying to visit some of Turkey’s most famous historical sights before they close for the day. The room Soy is in — built as a resting place for the sultan and now officially called the Hagia Sophia mosque — fills up with around 40 worshipers, drawn not by the modestly decorated space itself, but by...

All throughout last week, some five or six Coptic churches in Egypt have “caught fire”— ... the Church of Abu Seifein (named after Saint Mercurius of Caesarea, who is revered by the Copts). At least 41 Christians — 18 of whom were children — were either burned alive, killed by asphyxiation, or ... Considering that Muslims have torched or bombed hundreds of Coptic churches over the decades in Egypt — and often when churches are packed — it is, of course, difficult to resist that explanation. Moreover, this last week was the “anniversary” of when Muslim Brotherhood sympathizers torched 62...

The members of Brass Against were just as shocked as festival goers when singer Sophia Urista peed on the face of a fan during their set at Welcome to Rockville. The band issued an apology on Twitter following the incident. “We had a great time last night at Welcome to Rockville,” they wrote. “Sophia got carried away. That’s not something the rest of us expected, and it’s not something you’ll see again at our shows. Thanks for bringing it last night, Daytona.” In a since-deleted tweet the group added: “We’re truly sorry. Not who we are as a band.”

Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a presidential decree on Friday turning the historic Holy Saviour in Chora, a medieval Byzantine church in western Constantinople that was a museum, into a mosque. The move follows the July decision to convert Hagia Sophia to a mosque, a move condemned by the international community. The change in its status was passed in December 2019 but the decision of the State Council of Turkey had not been implemented, until today. Chora is one of the most splendid examples of Byzantine art, and still preserves mosaics and frescoes. The interior is covered with Bible...

The chairman of the Religious and Foundation Employees’ Union (Diyanet Bir-Sen), Hasan Türüt, has called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to allow a Muslim prayer to be performed in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, following the lifting of the ban due to the coronavirus pandemic. According to Turkish media reports, Türüt said that the first Friday after the coronavirus pandemic the Muslim prayer should be performed in Hagia Sophia, as Mehmed the Conqueror did on the first Friday after the Fall of Constantinople. “Hagia Sophia is the means to bring about the resurrection of the world. We must all show...

The Turkish Supreme Court rejected a request from one of the religious groups. They had asked for the historical museum of Hagia Sophia to be transformed into a mosque. According to the Anatolian agency reporting the news on Thursday, the Court dismissed the case because of errors made in the written request. The basilica of Hagia Sophia was transformed into a mosque during the fall of Constantinople in 1453, then into a museum in 1935. According to Turkish law, worship is prohibited in museums.

The European Commission this week revealed its 2018 enlargement report on enlargement that included Turkey, but only as a formality. Turkey is not even invited to a summit in Sofia on May 17 bringing together the leaders of the 28 EU member states and the other six candidate countries. In recent years, reports of Turkey’s progress towards EU membership have become regress reports. This time however, the Commission, sure that Turkey would never become an EU member, has really lashed out. The only progress highlighted in the report is in Turkey's migration and asylum policies. But the reason why is...

Well I must tell you what has happened. Sophia's surgery is in eight days and about a week ago I asked if she wanted anything for the trip to Boston. She said she wanted me to get the entire world to pray for her on the day of the surgery. I started making calls, sending emails, and it is starting to happen!! Our congressman Jodey Arrington went on tv to tell her he is praying! He sent her the most beautiful private video last night that made me cry. This man is a worthy leader in politics as he is...

Sophia was air lifted again to the Dallas area after another stroke. The doctors now believe she may have something called Pediatric Central Nervous System Vasculitus as new images show other arteries in the brain beginning to close with inflammation. Her situation is very bad and treatment includes forms of chemotherapy to suppress her immune system to hopefully decrees the inflammation. My husband and I are considering transferring her care to Boston Children’s or Cleveland Clinic which has a vasculitus center. My mother flew in with my son so I am cherishing every second with him in case we leave...

Sophia, the humanoid robot, has been granted citizenship by Saudi Arabia. Yes, you read that correctly. Sophia was created by Hanson Robotics, the Hong Kong company whose tagline is, "We bring robots to life." Sophia uses artificial intelligence (AI) to communicate with life-like gestures and speech. Sophia blinks her eyes, changes her gaze and has an expressive face to mimic human emotions. She can smile, nod her head, and look angry or sad.

Prayers were requested in August and answered for Sophia, daughter of FReeper lilyramone, a sick little girl. Good news. I'll post an excerpt from a recent email from her. She thanks everyone for their prayers and Glory be to God for the answers! :::Three days before we were to leave for Boston, Sophia's stroke team in Dallas scheduled a meeting with us. When I arrived I was shocked to hear every department (Neurology, Neurosurgery, Hematology, Pediatric Neuro-radiology, etc) told me they advised against the surgeries at this time. They told me she may need these surgeries in the near future...but...

For eight decades, the iconic Hagia Sophia [Ἁγία Σοφία, “Holy Wisdom”] – museum in Istanbul [Constantinople] has stood as a symbol of Turkey’s commitment to a secular society. Now that tradition is under siege by growing calls to convert the historic structure back into a practicing mosque. The 1,500-year-old structure originally was built as an Orthodox Christian cathedral. It was turned into a mosque in the 15th century after the Ottoman Turks defeated the Greek emperor in Constantinople and renamed the city Istanbul. In the 1930s, the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk, turned it into a museum in his...

Finally got this word from FReeper lilyramone on the outcome of her daughter Sophia's surgery on 2/6/17.. Truly a miracle and we all know where they come from: Sophia’s surgery was a miraculous success!!! The two neurosurgeons both said it went better than the could have dreamed and one said “ This little girl truly has God on her side!”. We are so blessed that no additional brain damage was caused, she did not suffer a stroke during the surgery, which was the biggest fear, and her recovery has been amazing!! Her surgery was such a high risk and the...

Hello Freepers, A dear friend of mine's 16 year old daughter Sophia has overproduction of spinal fluid that is leaking into her brain. Please pray for her. She is under care, but it's scary.

Observers are warning about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s increasingly neo-Ottoman stance and disregard for secular prerogatives.” Indeed, and this new appointment essentially completes the motion of making the Hagia Sophia into a functioning mosque again. European Union officials ought to see this for what it is: a decisive rejection of any pretense of dealing with the Christian or post-Christian West on a mutually respectful basis. Erdogan is an Islamic supremacist and is pursuing an openly supremacist imperative. European officials who are still pushing for Turkey’s entry into the EU, as well as the ongoing phenomenon of massive Muslim immigration...

Dr. David Hanson leads the engineers and designers that created Sophia, the team's most advanced android to date. Sophia's lifelike skin is made from patented silicon and she can emulate more than 62 facial expressions. Cameras inside her "eyes," combined with computer algorithms, enable her to "see," follow faces and appear to make eye contact and recognize individuals.

State Duma deputies have supported the idea of the return of Agia Sophia in Constantinople to the Orthodox Church. This was stated by Chairman of Committee on Property, and the coordinator of the inter-factional parliamentary group on the protection of Christian values, Sergei Gavrilov, TSN reports. Today, when Russian-Turkish relations are undergoing an "endurance trial," mutually friendly initiatives and proposals are of special importance, Gavrilov says. "The Russian side deems it possible to return to the question of Agia Sophia, the ancient shrine of the Christian world, located in Constantinople - an ancient Byzantine cathedral associated with the history of...

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has condemned a bill recently introduced in the Turkish parliament that would “change the status of Hagia Sophia from a museum, which it has been since 1935, to a mosque. ... The 1,477-year-old Hagia Sophia, which is located in Istanbul, has had a turbulent history. The historic building, which was originally constructed under Emperor Justinian, was completed by 537 A.D. and is an iconic example of Byzantine architecture. It served alternately as a Roman Catholic cathedral and an Eastern Orthodox church until 1453, when the Ottoman Turks captured Constantinople and converted...

I will be making a short business trip to Cambridge and London, England (Feb 5-7 Cambridge, Saturday, Feb 8 in London). Then a slightly longer stay in Sophia, Bulgaria (Feb 9-15). Freepers know everything. What should I do? What should I not do? Where should I eat? What places must I be sure to visit?

About The SOPHIA Project -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The SOPHIA Project is being conducted under the direction of Gary E. Schwartz, PhD in the Laboratory for Advances in Consciousness and Health. The first study in this project is the Entity Communications Study. Background and Rationale Numerous individuals in various cultures throughout history have reported an ability to communicate with non-human entities, deceased people, and other-worldly beings. Over the past few years, an increase in the reporting of these types of experiences has been seen in popular American culture including books, websites, and television shows. The rational scientific investigation of this topic is necessary...