The Briefing – June 2017
June 2017Just when we might have thought the Middle East had seen it all in terms of possible crises, a move by several members of the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCC) to bring the small but ambitious country of Qatar into line has triggered another. After last month’s visit to Saudi Arabia by President Trump of the USA, and his apparent support […]
“BRIDGES” GIVES A VOICE TO SUFFERING COPTIC CHRISTIANS
June 2017As Egypt’s Coptic community was left reeling from yet another deadly attack, SAT-7 ARABIC’s current affairs programme Bridges presented a vital Christian viewpoint on the threat believers face from extremists. The show aired on 27 May, the day after 29 Christians were killed in a violent gun attack on a bus travelling from Minya province to a monastery. The gunmen demanded […]
Farsi channel doubles potential audience in Iran as it launches on new satellite
June 2017SAT-7’s Farsi language channel, SAT-7 PARS, is now live on Yahsat, which is one of the most viewed satellite platforms in Iran. Yahsat has attracted an estimated 10 million viewing households in the country. “This has been our dream for several years as Yahsat is an increasingly popular satellite with Iranians and it will enable us to interact with a […]
Jordan: working together to meet the cries
May 2017Local partners Population: 6.5 million (plus up to 3 million refugees); 92% Sunni Muslim; 6% Christian; 2% Shiite Muslim/Druze Literacy: 98.5% men; 97.5% women Despite its small size and lack of natural resources, Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, plays a significant role in the Middle East, lying between Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq and the Holy Lands. Jordan is […]
Lebanon: the cry for unity and tolerance
A unique country Population: 6.2 million; 27% Sunni Muslim, 27% Shia Muslim, 40.5% Christian, 5.5% Druze Literacy: 96% men 91.8% women Lebanon is unique in the Arab world for the relative size of its Christian population and its cultural diversity; with Christians enjoying considerable freedom in sharing their faith. The capital, Beirut, is home to SAT-7’s largest studio, where many of […]
Morocco: the cry for wisdom from a generation under pressure
May 2017Young 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
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 […]