How Jerusalem, Ayodhya and Hagia Sohpia issues have caused religious extremism

Religious supremacy has always been a matter of dispute leading to issues that still remain incomprehensible Various religious groups have been claiming their rights over something or the other and trying to establish their beliefs since time immemorial From Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the protests that have erupted in the MiddleEast following the decision to the Supreme Courts decision to have the final hearing in the Ayodhya dispute on February 8 2018 going against the appeals of minority groups to defer the proceedings further take a look at how these issues have changed the worlds geopolitical strategies and driven people to religious extremismJerusalem The land of divisionsText Rimita Majumder Illustration Ravi JadhavDivide and rule1882CE The British conquer Egypt After Alexander IIs assassination Russian Jews are attacked Many move to Palestine others settle in Jerusalem1914 World War I breaks out As Turks perpetrate genocide against Ottoman Empire Armenians over a million people are killed Some refugees go to Jerusalem1937 Peel committee recommends partition of the country between Arabs and Jews and Jerusalem to be left under the British Mandates control1948 A day before the British Mandate is terminated Jews proclaim Declaration of Independence following which the state of Israel is formed1993 Israel and PLO sign a peace process Oslo AccordsCurrent situationFor the past 70 years the IsraeliPalestinian conflict has affected the Middle East and prevented peacebuilding efforts Every US President has recognised that the step to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem would have serious repercussions However US President Donald Trump on Wednesday finally recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and said the process of moving the embassy would start soon1992Bill Clinton supports recognising Jerusalem as Israels capital2000During the election campaign George W Bush promises to move the embassyIf half the funds spent by some rulers in the region to encourage terrorism extremism sectarianism and incitement against neighbours were spent on liberating Palestine we wouldnt be facing this American egotism todayJavad Zarif Irans foreign ministerMr Trump Jerusalem is the red line of Muslims It is a violation of international law to take a decision supporting Israel while Palestinian societys wounds arestill bleedingRecep Tayyip Erdogan president of TurkeyAyodhya A land of conflictsUnending dispute1528 Babri Masjid built on a site that Hindus claim to be the spot where Lord Ram was born Religious violence breaks out in 18531859 The British colonial administration erects a fence to separate the places of worship of the Hindus and Muslims Protest erupts after Hindus allegedly place idols inside the mosque following which the government locksup the place1986 The district judge orders the gates of the mosque to be opened and Hindus allowed to worship there1992 VHP Shiv Sena and BJP supporters destroy the mosque leading to nationwide rioting Over 2000 people get killed2002 VHP confirms that it would begin construction of a temple on March 15 Hundreds of people converge at the site At least 58 people get killed in an attack on a train in Godhra carrying Hindu activists returning from AyodhyaCurrent situationUnaffected by submissions that a Supreme Court verdict in the Ayodhya title dispute at the moment would lead to serious repercussions a bench of the apex court fixed the date for the final hearing on February 8 2018 Minority community members had requested the court to defer the hearing till after July 15 2019 The appellant took different routes to build pressure for adjournment They said that the dispute was the most important case in the history of India which would decide the future of the polity2010In September an Allahabad High Court bench gave a judgment fora threeway partition of the disputed site2000Number of deaths in the 1992 HinduMuslim riotsThis matter has been pending in the SC for the last seven years A decision in this case will have ramifications which will go far beyond the four walls of the court So what is the hurry Let us get enough time to prepare argumentsKapil Sibal Counsel for Muslim trustBJP demands that the case be heard as soon as possible The Supreme Court should give a judgment and a grand Ram temple should be built in AyodhyaAmit Shah BJP chiefHagia Sophia Threatened secularismSymbol of change6th century CE Hagia Sophia a cathedral built at Constantinople now Istanbul under the direction of Justinian I532 AD The building gets destroyed in the Nika Revolt Under Justinians orders architects start rebuilding it1453 After winning over Constantinople Sultan Mehmet orders it to be turned into a mosque1934 Turkish president ordains that the structure be turned into a museumCurrent situationFor years the Hagia Sophia museum has been a symbol of Turkeys commitment towards a secular society But the tradition now faces the pressure of the calls to convert it back into a mosque The idea has become appealing with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promoting a prominent role for Islam in Turkey Even today the buildings fate tugs at the hearts of Muslims and Christians06No of years taken to build Hagia Sophia916Number of years for which Hagia Sophia was a churchFor us 1453 was a symbol of Islam winning over Christianity Now for those who want to keep the Hagia Sophia a museum its a symbol of secularism winning over Islam But Turkey has changed and they are out of touch with itEmrullah Celik Islamic activistCatch up on all the latest Mumbai National and International news hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go