SAT-7's Middle East Briefing brings you a monthly roundup of news from the Middle East and North Africa, with a particular focus on the experiences of believers and the challenges facing the Church in the region. It's available as a long-read article, or as a 7-minute podcast. Read the articles below or listen to all our latest podcast episodes here. You can also listen and subscribe on Spotify or Apple podcasts - just search "The Middle East Briefing".
THE BRIEFING – May 2017: Solidarity with a Church under fire
May 2017As 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 […]
The Briefing – April 2017
April 2017This 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 Briefing – March 2017: Seismic shifts and fresh persecution
March 2017The region continues to see seismic shifts, the campaign against Islamic State, persecution of Christians, and worrying signs of famine in Yemen. The fighting in Syria grows ever more complex. Turkish troops and Turkish-backed groups recaptured the border town of Al-Bab from so-called Islamic State (IS), also achieving Turkey’s aim of interrupting the line of territory held by Kurdish forces along its […]
The briefing – February 2017: MENA region enters a new uncertain phase
February 2017The Middle East has entered yet another uncertain phase. New US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy is difficult to forecast, but his executive order (27 January) suspending refugee admissions and temporarily barring visits from seven Muslim-majority countries made ripples in the region. Christians in the Middle East were in the uncomfortable position of seeing people from their region barred from […]
The Briefing – January 2017: the year ahead
January 2017Another year began, with signs that 2017 too is set to be fraught with challenges for the people of the Middle East, Christian and Muslim alike. An attack at a famous night club in Istanbul by so-called Islamic State (IS) killed 39 people celebrating the New Year. The following day multiple bombs in Baghdad killed dozens more. So what lies […]
The Briefing – December 2016: Review of the year
December 2016In a year of intense conflict, the region’s balance of power and national borders have come under acute pressure from insurgencies, fighting forces with competing aims, and the involvement of major powers. The turmoil in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq has been violent and extreme. Together, these conflicts have driven more than 15 million people from their homes – more […]
The Briefing – November 2016
November 2016Another month, another surprise twist in world affairs. This month the election of Donald Trump as the next US President sent shock waves across the world, including the Middle East. Meanwhile, the long-heralded operation to liberate Mosul from so-called Islamic State gave new hope to displaced Iraqi people. The details of President Elect Trump’s policies for the Middle East are […]
The Briefing – October 2016
October 2016The effects of unrelenting warfare on civilian populations continue to be felt from Syria to the Yemen. Only in Iraq does the fighting raise brighter hopes as so-called Islamic State are pushed out. Syria’s relentless war continues. A French draft resolution to the UN Security Council called for an immediate ceasefire in Aleppo and a no-fly zone to end the […]