Young and hopeless Population: 31 million; 99% Sunni Muslim; <1% Jewish; <1% Christian Literacy: 82% men; 62% women With a median age of 29, Morocco has a young population. But like youths in neighbouring North African countries, their horizons are limited. Some 22 per cent of young men and 38 per cent of young women are unemployed (Al-Monitor, June 2013). […]
Syria: The cry of refugees for an education
A generation out of school Population: 17.2 million; 87% Muslim, 10% Christian, 3% Druze Literacy: 91.7% men, 81% women In the six years since Syria’s civil war began, over 11 million citizens have fled their homes and moved elsewhere in the country or crossed borders as refugees. Some 1 in 3 children have known only war during their lives and […]
THE BRIEFING – May 2017: Solidarity with a Church under fire
As the military war against so-called Islamic State enters a new phase, on the Church front, Christian leaders made bridge-building visits to the region’s beleaguered church communities. The Syrian civil war entered a new phase this week, with the decision of President Trump to arm the Kurdish-led Syrian Defence Forces (SDF) with heavy weapons in preparations for the campaign to […]
North African youth: struggle and opportunity
For decades North Africa’s young people have pushed against social, economic and religious restrictions. A Moroccan Christian shares their struggles and the new paths some are finding as they turn to Christ. Ever since they shook off European rule or “mandates” between 1951 and 1962, the five countries forming Northwest Africa (known collectively as the “Maghreb”) have not served their […]
The Briefing – April 2017
This Easter, as we remembered the death and resurrection of our Saviour, world events continued to present us with the sharp contrasts of suffering and hope – the darkness of the present moment and the promise that all things will be made new in Christ. It’s a message that is more important than ever for the people of the Middle […]
The invisible front line
There is more than one way of being on the front line of ministry in SAT-7. While scores of the TV network’s presenters have become trusted and familiar friends through their regular appearance on screen, there is a front line that is less visible but equally important. It involves sitting beside a phone and a computer monitor. Members of SAT-7 […]
Sharing the hope of the Resurrection with the suffering Church
“The message of Easter is one of hope, victory, and love for all humankind. This is the message that the SAT-7 PARS channel wants to share and impart to its viewers through our Easter programming,” says Senior Manager Panayiotis Keenan. Many Christians in the Farsi-speaking world face persecution for their faith; attending church or celebrating Easter is prohibited for Iranians […]
Palm Sunday in Egypt: carnage on a day of celebration
On Palm Sunday morning a bomb ripped through the communion service at St George’s, Tanta in Egypt, killing 27 and injuring many more. Shortly afterwards by a suicide bomb detonated outside St Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria where Pope Tawadros, the leader of the Coptic Church, had led worship. Eighteen more worshippers and four police officers died in the blast. Later […]
Teaching and equipping Christians in the MENA
Spiritual hunger The continued conflict and unrest in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region are directly impacting the lives of more than 50 million Arabic speakers. As a result, there is a spiritual hunger for truth, change and peace. SAT-7 is a beacon providing spiritual guidance to its audience of 21.5 million Arabic people. Viewers are responding: in […]
SAT-7 inspires women to pursue their dreams
Realise your potential “If we can do it, you can do it too!” is the motto of a brand new SAT-7 women’s show, Homemade. It aims to inspire female viewers all over Turkey to be creative, realise their full potential and believe they can succeed at whatever they put their minds to. Host Semsa Deniz explains that, “the correct image […]