What's at stake for St. Catherine's monastery in Sinai, and why does it matter for international religious freedom?

from The Greek Current · host Hellenic Leaders

A recent court ruling in Egypt has sounded alarm bells in Athens and around the world as it seems to put the status of St. Catherine’s monastery in Sinai, a UNESCO world heritage site, at risk. This has prompted reactions at the highest levels, with Prime Minister Mitsotakis speaking with his Egyptian counterpart and emphasizing the importance of safeguarding the monastery’s status as a Greek Orthodox place of pilgrimage. Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou joins Thanos Davelis as we break down what’s at stake for St. Catherine’s monastery and why it matters as we look at the broader state of international religious freedom in the region.Dr. Prodromou is a former Vice Chair and Commissioner on the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, visiting professor in the International Studies Program at Boston College, and was a member of the US Secretary of State’s Religion & Foreign Policy Working Group.You can read the articles we discuss on our podcast here:Sisi reaffirms Egypt’s commitment to status of Sinai monastery in call with MitsotakisHistoric Sinai settlement never signedA bolt out of the blue on Mt SinaiTurkish authorities order detention of dozens of opposition officials in widening crackdownTurkey arrests dozens including opposition party membersGas to flow from Greece to Slovakia, Ukraine

What this episode covers

With a recent court ruling in Egypt sounding alarm bells in Athens and around the world over the status of St. Catherine’s monastery in Sinai, Dr. Elizabeth Prodromou joins Thanos Davelis to break down what’s at stake for the UNESCO world heritage site, and explore why it matters as we look at the broader state of international religious freedom in the region.