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, Apple or Google Podcasts – just search “The Middle East Briefing”.
THE BRIEFING – MARCH 2022
March 2022The images of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine have shocked us all. Footage of indiscriminate bombings of apartment blocks, hospitals and critical infrastructure, such as water and electricity hubs, assail us like flashbacks of recent events in the Middle East. What we are witnessing in Ukraine is a continuation of the devastating attacks Russia made on civilian areas of Syria […]
The Middle East Briefing – February 2022
February 2022The month has been marked both by diplomacy and power struggles on an international level. Away from the headlines, Middle East churches continued to work and pray for peace and freedom. Hopeful diplomatic moves continue across the region. President Erdogan of Turkey has been warmly welcomed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a marked change from the tensions that have […]
THE MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING – JANUARY 2022
January 2022From 1 January, the year 2022 has looked very different in contrasting corners of the Middle East and North Africa – from wealthy Gulf nations to countries in crisis like Afghanistan and Yemen. As we look ahead, our Middle East analyst sees some hopeful signs of nations beating swords into ploughshares (Isaiah 2:4), but too few leaders using their power, […]
THE MIDDLE EAST BRIEFING – NOVEMBER 2021
November 2021A year ago, Sudan stood out as the North African country where the signs of change were brightest, despite endemic poverty and a legacy of authoritarian rule and rebel movements. But on 25 October this year, the transition towards civilian rule and democracy came to an abrupt halt. Military forces arrested civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other senior officials. […]
THE BRIEFING – OCTOBER 2021
October 2021Sunday 10 October marked the tenth anniversary of the martyrdom of 24 Coptic Christians in Egypt in 2011. They were killed during a demonstration by hundreds of Copts against increasing attacks on churches and the lack of any measures by the state to halt them. The peaceful protest outside the Maspero television building was confronted by armoured vehicles that rammed […]
The Briefing – September 2021
September 2021Twenty years after 9/11, the shockwaves of the NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan are being felt widely. Within the country, those who have benefitted most from increased freedoms, educational and work opportunities, along with those who cooperated with international companies and forces, have had most to fear from the swift Taliban takeover. This includes Afghanistan’s underground Christian community of an estimated […]
THE BRIEFING – JULY 2021
July 2021As a 20-year war led by US forces against the Taliban draws to an end in Afghanistan, concerns grow for the safety of the civilian population in the light of Taliban advances. Meanwhile, basic needs for water, food and fuel are uppermost in minds in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Two decades ago, in response to the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaeda, […]
The Briefing – June 2021
June 2021The results of two recent elections – in Iran and Israel – are set to have a major impact on the future of the region. In Iran, Ebrahim Raisi, the head of the country’s judiciary, will become the next president in August. Presidential elections on 18 June saw the lowest turnout since the founding of the Republic in 1979. But […]