In Conversation With... Rami Al-Halaseh

Rami Al-Halaseh, Executive Director of SAT-7 ARABIC

Martin Thomas recently interviewed Rami Al-Halaseh, who took up his position as Executive Director of SAT-7 ARABIC’s satellite TV and digital media channel just months before the events of 7 October 2023. He started by asking Rami about the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land and how he feels it's been impacting Christians on the ground in the region, but also how it’s been affecting him and his team personally.

“This is very important. Christians in the Middle East [are] an intrinsic component of society. So, it impacts families very deeply from a personal point of view, but also from a political and regional point of view. It makes the Christian existence in the Middle East even more exposed to factors and reasons to leave.”

“It makes it harder for our teams, Christian people who work in Christian media to be neutral. To try to be neutral in our production and not to highlight what is really happening on the ground, it's just like walking on eggshells, where what should we say, what should we not say? And and it shouldn't be this way.”

Broadcasting in the context of crisis

“We have to be sure that our we have the right infrastructure within our programming that will allow us to be ready, at any minute, with any crises that happen, to reflect, to bring that voice, and to report and to show what's happening on the ground from the people on the ground. We have to be agile, to be prepared and ready to serve and provide mentorship and prayers and words of wisdom, words of encouragement. So, this is being done through our live broadcasts.”

For such a time as this

“I can say that the Lord has been so faithful. I can say without a single doubt, that I have been prepared in my life throughout the last 25 years, from different experiences, different paths of career and life, that today being with SAT-7 makes sense to me. I'm here today, for such a time as this.”

Watch or listen to the full conversation:

Q1: What have you learned about the region that surprised or even challenged you?

Q2: How will the conversation with Rami help you to pray for the ongoing situation in the Holy Land, wider region and for the SAT-7 teams on the ground?

Q3: Read Esther 4 (especially 12-14). Ask God to reveal more of his purposes for your life today. Is he calling you to do something specific or to speak out on a particular issue... for such as time as this?