In his latest podcast for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) expert commentator and Ekklesia associate Dr Harry Hagopian looks at a variety of political, religious and legal realities making news inside and outside the region.
In his latest podcast for the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) expert commentator and Ekklesia associate Dr Harry Hagopian looks at a variety of political, religious and legal realities making news inside and outside the region.
In particular, he examines the latest debate about Yasser Arafat. Was the former Palestinian Authority president poisoned nine years ago?
Also, what are we to make of the now-deferred trial of former president of Egypt, Mohamed Morsi?
Will a slow down in the enrichment of Iran’s uranium be enough to persuade the US to allow “limited, temporary, reversible” sanctions relief? How will Israel’s position impact on this?
Over nine million people are internally displaced in Syria, which also faces well over 2 million refugees, the breakdown of Geneva II, and a polio outbreak. Dr Hagopian’s analysis includes the statement by the Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches in the UK.
Last but not least, there is the World Council of Churches and its recent 10th Assembly in Korea. Does the WCC have a voice on the many issues blighting the MENA region. What role will its new presidents play?
Harry Hagopian is an international lawyer, ecumenist and EU political consultant. He also acts as a Middle East and inter-faith advisor to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England & Wales and as Middle East consultant to ACEP (Christians in Politics) in Paris. He is an Ekklesia associate and regular contributor (http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/HarryHagopian).
Formerly an Executive Secretary of the Jerusalem Inter-Church Committee and Executive Director of the Middle East Council of Churches, he is now an international fellow, Sorbonne III University, Paris, consultant to the Campaign for Recognition of the Armenian Genocide (UK), Ecumenical consultant to the Primate of Armenian Church in UK & Ireland, and author of The Armenian Church in the Holy Land. Dr Hagopian’s own website is www.epektasis.net Follow him on Twitter here: @harryhagopian
* You can listen to / download / follow this podcast on iTunes or SoundCloud (link also shown hereunder) as follows:
http://www.catholicnews.org.uk/mena-2013-pod-14