When SAT-7 first launched in 1996, a Christian viewer in Egypt was so startled to see an Arab presenter wearing a cross on TV, he called the channel straight away. “Mish Ma’oul! This is unbelievable!” he said. For more than 21 years, SAT-7 has been committed to being a voice for Christians and for many others who often go unheard in the Middle East and North Africa.
Since those first days, SAT-7 has given the region’s Christians the ability to go out from behind church walls (the only place where many MENA states legally permit them to teach and preach) to share God’s love wherever people live and are watching.
It also enables them to speak up for the equal value of women and children in patriarchal societies, to give support to people with disabilities in countries where disability is often associated with shame, and to promote dialogue and reconciliation across divided communities.
Parents sometimes don’t give children a voice to explain that ‘I need to be respected; I need to be cared for; I need to be talked to in a positive manner and I will listen.’
“For 800 years Christianity was destroyed in Afghanistan. Now the church is growing rapidly. From a handful of Christians 20 years ago, today we have thousands. Afghanistan doesn’t permit official churches. They meet in pockets of small groups and most are under 25 years old. They are the hope of the country that they will build the church.”
An array of programmes for women seeks to show them their God-given value. Semsa Deniz, presenter of Homemade, says, “the correct image of a normal Christian woman does not exist in Turkey. This programme wants to show a modern but ethically strong Turkish Christian woman.” Programmes like Insiders for viewers in Iran, Needle and Thread and Start from Here for Arabic speakers do a similar job of inspiring women and grappling with the challenges they face – from pressure to marry to domestic abuse.
SAT-7 has tackled the burden of stigma attached to disability in various ways, from a game show where able and disabled children competed together through to Obstacle Overcomers, a series that counters negative stereotypes by telling the stories and achievements of individuals with a range of impairments.
Programmes like Arabic current affairs show Bridges frequently spotlight cases of discrimination and persecution of Christian believers. But the show also invites representatives of different churches and faiths and various political and civil society leaders to offer a range of perspectives so that viewers can be better informed. The SAT-7 TÜRK Haber news programme is a unique TV news service for Turkish viewers, sharing worldwide news from the Body of Christ.
The deep conflicts and crises of the region continue, even as the region is poised for an historic new development in northern Iraq. In Syria, so-called Islamic State (IS) continued to relinquish control of more of its territory, including parts of its self-declared capital of Raqqa. IS forces in Deir El-Zour are now under severe pressure from two sides, from […]
Middle East satellite TV broadcaster SAT-7 launched its latest channel, SAT-7 ACADEMY, on 1 September. Broadcasting around the clock in Arabic, its top class educational programmes will offer complementary learning opportunities to millions of children and families throughout the Middle East and North Africa who have been displaced by war. It will also provide supplementary learning to millions more who […]
Has run since 2016 and follows the exploits of a teenage inventor who in each episode takes viewers on a journey filled with valuable life-lessons and aims to encourage young viewers to use their talents and abilities to help others and bring happiness into their lives.
Witnessing the struggles Alongside ACADEMY Channel Manager, Juliana Sfeir, colleague George Makeen is one of the driving forces behind SAT-7’s vision to help meet the educational needs of families in the Middle East. Makeen and Sfeir visited refugee camps in Lebanon and other parts of the MENA to assess the needs of refugees and how SAT-7 can meet them through […]
Rescued from a bitter life “We were stampeding like pigs not knowing where to go. We had no peace in the house.” This was family life for Amrouche after he first married and started a young family. Talking to SAT-7’s Algeria-produced testimony programme Free Souls, he looked back on his younger self and said, “I never knew honesty or integrity, […]
A new satellite television channel, SAT-7 ACADEMY is set to launch on 1 September. Broadcasting around the clock in Arabic, the channel will offer millions of displaced or refugee children complementary learning opportunities through a variety of television programmes. War has forced thirteen million children out of school across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).[1] Schools that have not […]
Displaced from their homes and often unable to access healthcare, refugees are especially vulnerable to an array of physical and mental health problems. SAT-7 is helping them to help themselves find healing through a series of short medical information segments. “You are your own doctor” is the message from the programme, which is presented by Dr Hany Keylada, an expert […]
There are only a few people that have the “it” factor. “It” being a characteristic that destines one for great things; sometimes as big as changing the world! To me, 12-year old Mahala* is one of those people. I first saw Mahala confidently marching to the podium of my church in Beirut. With perfect poise, she gave a 10-minute sermon […]
Shows stories of women who were victims of different aspects of violence, whether sexual, physical or other acts of discrimination and how they sought help. The program ran from 2015 to 2016, aiming to empower women and female viewers of the show to stand up for their rights while offering practical advice on how to avoid situations that might leave […]
