Turkey: The cry of isolated believers
April 2017Minority report Population: 77 million; 99.5% Muslim; 0.5% Christian These are difficult times for Christians in Turkey. The country has suffered an increase in terrorist attacks in major cities and been in an extended state of emergency following the attempted coup in July 2016. The far-reaching repercussions included mass sackings, arrests and the closure of hundreds of media outlets. The […]
Iran: The cry for meaning from young men
April 2017Tackling drug addiction Population: 82.8 million; 99.4% Muslim; 0.3% Zoroastrian, Christian, Jewish; 0.3% other Literacy: 91.2% men; 82.5% women Iran has the highest rate of drug addiction in the world, with at least 2 million Iranians in a population of 75 million addicted to illegal substances. Young men are at the centre of this phenomenon – with high unemployment, gender […]
Algeria: The cry from a first-generation Church
April 2017Church growth – past and present Population: 40.3 million; 99% Muslim; <1% Christian Literacy: 87% men; 73% women What is now Algeria was once home to Saint Augustine (AD 354-430), one of the Church’s foremost theologians. Christianity flourished here between the fifth and seventh centuries but gradually disappeared after the Arab invasions. Although new churches were started under French rule, […]
The invisible front line
April 2017There 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 […]
Encouraging our youngest viewers
March 2017The next generation of leaders A vital part of SAT-7’s work in the Middle East and North Africa is to support the growing church by directly engaging with viewers. This includes the youngest audience watching SAT’s dedicated children’s channel, SAT-7 KIDS. Deputy CEO of SAT-7 and presenter of Bedtime Stories, Rita Elmounayer, has a passion to reach out to the […]
Egypt worship show prays for persecutors and victims
March 2017When over a hundred Christian families hastily fled killings and death threats in North Sinai, SAT-7 producer Andrew Gamal decided to devote the week’s live worship show to pray for them. The special edition of Keep on Singing (28 February) came after four days in which hundreds of Christians abandoned the town of El-Arish following a killing spree by so-called […]
Is Valentine’s Day celebrated in the Middle East?
February 2017As western flower sellers, restaurants and chocolatiers prepare for a Valentine’s Day bonanza, how do couples in the Middle East mark the day – or do they? In Saudi Arabia, it is the religious police who swoop on chocolatiers and flower sellers, zealous to enforce a ban on the celebration as a western import that incites immorality. In Iran, the […]
Scarred city becomes refugee sanctuary
February 2017Once besieged by the Syrian army, a Lebanon town has become a place of welcome for Syrians fleeing terror thanks to God’s work in the lives of Lebanese Christians. SAT-7’s Dave Mann visited Zahlé, where he met with Syrian refugees and those ministering to them…. It should be easy to write a tourist brochure for Zahlé. The city lies high […]