In a year of intense conflict, the region’s balance of power and national borders have come under acute pressure from insurgencies, fighting forces with competing aims, and the involvement of major powers. The turmoil in Syria, Libya, Yemen and Iraq has been violent and extreme. Together, these conflicts have driven more than 15 million people from their homes – more […]
The Briefing – December 2016: Review of the year
Peace on earth – more than a dream?
This Christmas at church, our Sunday school children are getting ready to act out the nativity scene. Imagine it: retelling the birth of Christ with real, local Bethlehem children – surely it can’t get any better! But for many of the people living in this region, living in peace seems a faraway dream. They don’t know the powerful words Jesus […]
New survey shows record number of SAT-7 viewers
SAT-7, the leading Christian television broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is announcing record viewership numbers for its Arabic-language channels. With 21.5 million viewers, its audience has increased by 76 percent in the past five years. “The research shows remarkable growth for SAT-7 audiences in the MENA region. It is very encouraging, especially at a time when […]
Standing with Christians after Cairo bombing
SAT-7 viewers were shocked – and some directly affected – by the bomb blast that claimed the lives of 24 Christians at worship in a church next to Cairo’s main Coptic Cathedral on Sunday morning (11 December). This latest attack on Egypt’s Christian community eclipsed even the 2011 New Year’s Day bombing of a church in Alexandria in its number […]
Syrian overcomes fears to co-present new series
Popular women’s chat show Needle and Thread is back for a new series with a new presenter providing a fresh perspective to increase the programme’s appeal across the Middle East. Riham Jarjour lives in Egypt where the now-named Needle and New Thread series is filmed but comes from Syria and will present in the Syrian Arabic dialect. Riham, who is […]
SAT-7 reaches out to children suffering from cancer
“When you come to the hospital you give the children a dose of oxygen and a breath of life that encourages them to endure their pains.” This is how Amani Ibrahim, volunteer at the Children’s Cancer Hospital in Cairo, described the impact of a series of visits by SAT-7 producer and presenter Mounir Zakhary. In keeping with his role on […]
New survey shows record number of SAT-7 viewers
SAT-7, the leading Christian television broadcaster in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), is announcing record viewership numbers for its Arabic-language channels. With 21.5 million viewers, its audience has increased by 76 percent in the past five years. “The research shows remarkable growth for SAT-7 audiences in the MENA region. It is very encouraging, especially at a time when […]
Displaced Iraqi Christians gather for “return festival”
Displaced Iraqi Christians gathered for a major prayer and worship event to mark the liberation of towns and villages in the Nineveh Plain from so-called Islamic State (IS). The Christ Day event in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan, on 18 November was broadcast live on SAT-7 to millions across the Middle East and North Africa. The gathering of Christians from various denominations […]
Up to fifty thousand Iraqi Christians to gather in prayer for Iraq this Friday
Tens of thousands of displaced Iraqi Christians in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan are expected to attend a massive prayer gathering this Friday (18 December). Christ Day Erbil is the climax of 50 days of prayer and will gather Christians of all denominations to pray for the Church and nation. The six-hour event is being organised by Life Agape with the support […]
The Briefing – November 2016
Another month, another surprise twist in world affairs. This month the election of Donald Trump as the next US President sent shock waves across the world, including the Middle East. Meanwhile, the long-heralded operation to liberate Mosul from so-called Islamic State gave new hope to displaced Iraqi people. The details of President Elect Trump’s policies for the Middle East are […]