CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 90Introduced by Senator BorgeasAugust 14, 2020 Relative to the reclassification of the Hagia Sophia cathedral. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 90, as introduced, Borgeas. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, Turkeys decision to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque is a direct impediment on the rights and religious freedoms of many worshipers around the world; andWHEREAS, Hagia Sophia, also known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom and Church of the Divine Wisdom, was commissioned by the Byzantine Empire in 360 A.D. and completed in 537 A.D. as a Christian cathedral in Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey; andWHEREAS, Hagia Sophia remained a place of worship for Christians for nearly 1,000 years until the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The Christian cathedral was then converted to an Islamic mosque and many of the Christian mosaics were whitewashed and covered with Islamic calligraphy; andWHEREAS, After the ultimate collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the cathedral was converted into a museum in 1934, honoring Hagia Sophia as a significant cultural and religious monument for all of humanity and was recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site; andWHEREAS, Hagia Sophia remained a symbol of respect among people of different faiths and cultural backgrounds until Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in July 2020, ordered the reclassification of Hagia Sophia into an Islamic mosque; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate regrets the actions of President Erdogan to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum, open to people of all faiths, into a mosque; and be it furtherResolved, That the Senate respectfully calls upon the President and the Congress of the United States to formally and consistently reaffirm the historical truth that Hagia Sophia was founded and maintained as a Christian church for nearly 1,000 years and remains a place of cultural and religious significance to the world; and be it furtherResolved, That the Senate respectfully calls upon the President and the Congress of the United States to urge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reinstate Hagia Sophia as a museum or, alternatively, reclassify Hagia Sophia as a house of worship where people of different faiths are encouraged to congregate, equitably available on specific days of the week and for respective events of religious significance; and be it further Resolved, That this could be accomplished by the Republic of Turkey establishing and convening an interfaith council to steward the process on behalf of those of the Christian and Islamic faiths; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, to the Governor of California, and to every Member of the California State Legislature.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION Senate Resolution No. 90Introduced by Senator BorgeasAugust 14, 2020 Relative to the reclassification of the Hagia Sophia cathedral. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSR 90, as introduced, Borgeas. Digest Key
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20192020 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Resolution
No. 90
Introduced by Senator BorgeasAugust 14, 2020
Introduced by Senator Borgeas
August 14, 2020
Relative to the reclassification of the Hagia Sophia cathedral.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SR 90, as introduced, Borgeas.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Turkeys decision to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum into a mosque is a direct impediment on the rights and religious freedoms of many worshipers around the world; and
WHEREAS, Hagia Sophia, also known as the Church of the Holy Wisdom and Church of the Divine Wisdom, was commissioned by the Byzantine Empire in 360 A.D. and completed in 537 A.D. as a Christian cathedral in Constantinople, now Istanbul, Turkey; and
WHEREAS, Hagia Sophia remained a place of worship for Christians for nearly 1,000 years until the conquest of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453. The Christian cathedral was then converted to an Islamic mosque and many of the Christian mosaics were whitewashed and covered with Islamic calligraphy; and
WHEREAS, After the ultimate collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the establishment of the Republic of Turkey, the cathedral was converted into a museum in 1934, honoring Hagia Sophia as a significant cultural and religious monument for all of humanity and was recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site; and
WHEREAS, Hagia Sophia remained a symbol of respect among people of different faiths and cultural backgrounds until Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in July 2020, ordered the reclassification of Hagia Sophia into an Islamic mosque; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, That the Senate regrets the actions of President Erdogan to convert Hagia Sophia from a museum, open to people of all faiths, into a mosque; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate respectfully calls upon the President and the Congress of the United States to formally and consistently reaffirm the historical truth that Hagia Sophia was founded and maintained as a Christian church for nearly 1,000 years and remains a place of cultural and religious significance to the world; and be it further
Resolved, That the Senate respectfully calls upon the President and the Congress of the United States to urge Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to reinstate Hagia Sophia as a museum or, alternatively, reclassify Hagia Sophia as a house of worship where people of different faiths are encouraged to congregate, equitably available on specific days of the week and for respective events of religious significance; and be it further
Resolved, That this could be accomplished by the Republic of Turkey establishing and convening an interfaith council to steward the process on behalf of those of the Christian and Islamic faiths; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, to the Governor of California, and to every Member of the California State Legislature.