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 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 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 […]
Sharing the hope of the Resurrection with the suffering Church
April 2017“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 bombing: survivors and clergy reflect
April 2017On Palm Sunday, midway through a special service for the start of Holy Week, a suicide bomber detonated his device, killing 27 worshippers at St George’s Coptic Orthodox Church in the Nile Delta city of Tanta. SAT-7 field reports producer Ramy Samir spoke to eyewitnesses at the scene and the channel’s Egypt studio broadcast a programme of reflections and prayer […]
Palm Sunday in Egypt: carnage on a day of celebration
April 2017On 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
March 2017Spiritual 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 […]