Short-Term Safety vs. Long-Term Protection: Why Cultural Heritage Is Essential to Religious Freedom in the MENA Region - Religious Freedom Institute

Short-Term Safety vs. Long-Term Protection: Why Cultural Heritage Is Essential to Religious Freedom in the MENA Region - Religious Freedom Institute

By Salah Ali In the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), discussions about religious freedom often center on legal protections, acts of persecution, and the politics of state-religion relations. While these dimensions are urgent and often life-threatening, they capture only part of the reality. There is a more gradual and insidious threat that religious communities face, one that draws less international attention but has long-term consequences …