Provocation: Afghan Taliban raised banners in Hagia Sophia

Afghans unfurl Taliban banners inside Hagia Sophia a few days after it was converted into a mosque.

A video posted on social media shows men, some of them dressed in traditional Afghan costumes, unfurling a Taliban banner inside Hagia Sophia and shouting slogans as reported by tanea.gr. They were shouting “Allahu Akbar” with their right index finger raised, a gesture that has been identified with Islamic extremism.

The video was shared on Twitter by Noor Dahri, a London-based independent researcher in counter-terrorism and violent extremism.

In his post, Dahri wrote that “the flag of the Afghan Taliban was raised in Hagia Sophia in Turkey by pro-Taliban activists. The conversion of Hagia Sophia was an encouraging message of Muslim Brotherhood and to the world’s Islamist extremists and terrorists. Soon, pro-ISIS activists will raise their flag too.”