The Honourable Members. Panicos Leonidou (leader) and Elias Mirianthous, members of the Cypriot delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy (IPA), participated in a visit of the International Secretariat of the Assembly, in Venice, as part of a global campaign of the IPA to raise awareness of international public opinion to condemn the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque. During its visit, the IOA delegation held meetings with state, ecclesiastical and academic authorities in Venice.
The Cypriot MPs attended yesterday the 24th International Byzantine Studies Conference, which included the presentation of a multilingual IOA publication entitled "Hagia Sophia: The Temples of the Wisdom of God around the World", in the courtyard of the historic Metropolitan Church of St. George. The IEA's dedication volume highlights thirty-seven iconic churches dedicated to the Holy Wisdom of God, which include the Cathedral of St. Sophia, now the Selimiye Mosque, in occupied Nicosia and the Mosque of St. Sophia in Muttalos, Paphos.
In addition, Mr Leonidou and Mr Myrianthous participated in meetings of the Assembly leadership with the Metropolitan of Italy Mr. Polycarp, the Municipal Authorities of Venice and the authorities of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies, during which they pointed out that Cyprus has suffered for forty-eight years flagrant violations of international law and human rights and freedoms as a result of the invasion and continued occupation of part of its territory by Turkey.
(Text as sent by the House of Representatives)
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