Historic Sinai monastery criticized as threat to Egypt’s security
April 02, 2014
A retired Egyptian general has accused a historic monastery of being a threat to national security, and a Salafist weekly newspaper alleged that the monastery collaborates with Israeli intelligence officials, according to the Egyptian weekly Watani and the Fides news agency.
Saint Catherine’s Monastery, now Eastern Orthodox, was built by the Emperor Justinian in the sixth century and is located at the foot of Mount Sinai. It stands accused of being a beachhead of Greece and the European Union on Egyptian territory.
“It is weird that our monks, and there are no more than 37 of us, would be accused of threatening Egyptian national security,” said Archbishop Damianos I of Mount Sinai and Raithu, according to Watani. ““It is ridiculous that Saint Catherine’s has been accused of building ‘settlements’ occupied by foreigners. The only ‘settlements’ in the town of Katreen constitute a housing project built by the town council.”
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Further information:
- St Catherine’s Monastery Target of Multiple False Accusations (Watani)
- The false accusations against St. Catherine's Monastery have been rejected (Fides)
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