God Needs No Defense: Reimagining Muslim–Christian Relations in the 21st Century

A Festschrift in Honor of Dr. Thomas Schirrmacher Secretary General & CEO of the World Evangelical Alliance

Editors:

Thomas K. Johnson

&

C. Holland Taylor

God Needs No Defense: Reimagining Muslim–Christian Relations in the 21st Century / edited by Thomas K. Johnson and C. Holland Taylor Copyright © 2021 by Institute for Humanitarian , Center for Shared Civilizational Values, and World Evangelical Alliance Theological Commission. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of U.S. Copyright Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from the publishers. Credits and permissions are listed at the end of this book. Front cover: The 6th century basilica of Hagia Sophia i.e., the Cathedral of Holy Wisdom in Istanbul, Turkey, which Ottoman Sultan Mehmet II converted into a mosque in 1453 after the fall of Constantinople. The smaller image depicts the Hagia Sophia’s interior during the late Ottoman era with superimposed -language remarks by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey regarding the re-conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque in July of 2020.

I. Johnson, Thomas K., editor; II. Taylor, C. Holland, editor.

The Institute for Humanitarian Islam was established in 2021 by Kyai Haji A. Mustofa Bisri, former Chairman of the Supreme Council; Kyai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf, General Secretary of the Nahdlatul Ulama Supreme Council; and H. Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, ’s Minister of Religious Affairs. Recognizing the value of voluntary association among Islamic institutions of like faith and practice, the Institute for Humanitarian Islam exists in voluntary cooperative fellowship with Nahdlatul Ulama and Gerakan Pemuda Ansor. The Center for Shared Civilizational Values was established in 2021 by Kyai Haji A. Mustofa Bisri, Kyai Haji Yahya Cholil Staquf, H. Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, C. Holland Taylor, F. Borden Hanes, Jr., and Timothy S. Shah. The World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) was founded in 1846 by Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, and Congregationalist leaders from the British Isles, as well as by prominent European and American Protestant figures. It is the largest international organization of evangelical churches, representing over 600 million Protestants and national evangelical alliances in 140 countries.

Statement by President Erdogan of Turkey superimposed on a painting that depicts Hagia Sophia’s interior during the late Ottoman era

i

Remarks by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey about the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque, tweeted on Mr. Erdogan’s official Arabic-language account on July 10, 2020

Restoring life to Hagia Sophia [by converting it from a museum to a mosque] is an auspicious portent that foreshadows the liberation of al-Aqsa Mosque [in Jerusalem].

Restoring life to Hagia Sophia represents a new beginning for Muslims in every corner of the earth, [a step that we have taken] in order to precipitate our exit from the dark ages [of Islamic decline and domination by the West].

Restoring life to Hagia Sophia symbolizes the restoration of hope not only to Muslims, but also to all the maltreated, oppressed, crushed, and exploited [peoples of the world].

Restoring life to Hagia Sophia constitutes a salutation of peace sent by us, from the depths of our hearts, to all the cities that symbolize [the former heights of] our civilization, from Bukhara [in Central Asia] to al-Andalus [Spain].

By re-conquering/re-opening [i‘ādat fatḥ] Hagia Sophia — a sacred trust bestowed by God upon Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror/Opener [al-Fātiḥ] of Co