Egypt Daily News – President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi stated that Egypt is committed to protecting Saint Catherine’s Monastery.
In a press conference held in Athens with the Prime Minister of Greece, President El-Sisi said: “We talked about the issue of Saint Catherine’s Monastery, and since this conference will be heard in Egypt, I want to emphasize something, Egypt has a deep respect not just for others, but for the diversity and richness of the human fabric. This is not just rhetoric; it’s a practice. I was deeply upset when it was suggested that Egypt might take any negative action.
It’s not just about the status of the monastery, such claims go against the core principles of Egyptian policy. During the difficult period after 2013, we rebuilt the churches that extremists had burned.”
President El-Sisi continued: “If I had Jewish citizens, I would build synagogues for them. The things being said will not happen. No one should believe such talk. If there’s anything related to the monastery that needs attention, we are more than willing to do it with care and respect.
This place holds the memory of a saint who passed away 1,500 years ago in Egypt. I always tell people visiting Egypt to go see the monastery, it commemorates a saint who had faith at a time when faith was rare. What’s said on social media simply does not reflect reality.”
He concluded by acknowledging Greece’s significant role, especially within the European arena, in explaining what happened in Egypt after 2013, noting that it was a difficult period and highlighting the importance of the strong relationship between the two countries.
Earlier rumors circulating on social media about a threat or plan to evacuate Saint Catherine’s Monastery, which belongs to the Greek Orthodox Church. These rumours are not true.
The monastery is known as Saint Catherine’s Monastery, but its official name is “The Sacred Monastery of the God-Trodden Mount Sinai.” It was built by order of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I between 548 and 565 AD to shelter the monks who had been living in the Sinai Peninsula since the 4th century AD.
