Last weekend (15 May) citizens of Lebanon voted in parliamentary elections, for the first time since the 2019 “17 October Protests” over economic mismanagement and the unaccountability of political elites. There was much uncertainty over this election despite the wholesale anger with sitting politicians who are blamed for Lebanon’s economic crisis and its 2020 Beirut explosion. Former Prime Minister Saad […]
The Middle East Briefing – May 2022
The Christian martyr’s niece who shares God’s love for the women of Iran
SAT-7 PARS presenter Rozita Hovsepian comes from a Christian family that has long played a prominent part in the growth of the Iranian Church. She tells us about the family life that shaped her and recalls the day she heard God’s call to ministry – at the funeral of her murdered uncle. Newly-weds Rozita and Michael arrived at passport control […]
“WE ARE RESILIENT – BUT FOR HOW LONG?”: VOICES FROM BEIRUT
I have just returned from Beirut, Lebanon. With the elections looming this weekend, the city is plastered with banners and posters of the different political parties, their colours and slogans on massive billboards along the highways. This is the first election since the Port explosion in Beirut on 4 August 2020. The government resigned following the explosion but have remained […]
“I could finally breathe easily”: a voice from Egypt’s Church
What is it like to practise your faith when your freedom of belief is under threat? Our Cairo-based Communications Officer Mary Joseph shares her experience of living through a time when Christians in Egypt have felt additionally vulnerable. A few weeks into Lent, as Christians were immersed in daily church prayers and charitable activities, they were hit with the news […]
Middle East media pioneer to share highlights of 50 years of ministry
Dr Terence Ascott, the Founder and President of Middle East and North Africa media ministry, SAT-7, will be sharing the story behind his new book Dare to Believe! Stories of Faith from the Middle East at a series of UK events beginning in May. After arriving in the Middle East, initially to start a literature ministry from Beirut in 1973, […]
Iranian woman learns to forgive through SAT-7 PARS
Through its programmes and dedicated viewer support teams, SAT-7’s Persian-language channel SAT-7 PARS has been serving viewers in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan for over 15 years. Laleh*, an Iranian viewer of SAT-7 PARS, recently described how the channel has helped her grow in faith and find peace in Christ: “Greetings to all the beloved at SAT-7 PARS. I wanted to […]
The Middle East Briefing – April 2022
This Easter, three Abrahamic faiths overlapped in celebrations of Ramadan, Passover and Easter. Different religious calendars aligned, and shared roots, lands and heritages became clear. Yet, the same week saw a fresh cycle of violence on the Temple Mount and Al-Azhar compound in Jerusalem. Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli police clashed in scenes that saw rocks thrown at Jewish worshippers from […]
Beaming joy to the Middle East this Easter
A special series of Easter worship songs and Bible readings, filmed on location in Jordan, is part of a slate of Arabic content on SAT-7 across the Western and Eastern Easter festival period. A SAT-7 Egypt production team visited the Jordanian capital, Amman, and nearby Fuhais to film Hymns We Cherish in churches, on a hillside and in the pretty […]
Supporting MENA survivors of the Russia-Ukraine war
“Today we want to pray for Ukraine and ask for the Lord’s peace. We want to say to all those oppressed and hurt that you are not alone,” said Sirene Semerdjian, presenter of SAT-7 ARABIC current affairs programme You are Not Alone, as she opened an episode dedicated to survivors of the Ukraine war. Sister and brother Amira (19) and […]
THE BRIEFING – MARCH 2022
The images of Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine have shocked us all. Footage of indiscriminate bombings of apartment blocks, hospitals and critical infrastructure, such as water and electricity hubs, assail us like flashbacks of recent events in the Middle East. What we are witnessing in Ukraine is a continuation of the devastating attacks Russia made on civilian areas of Syria […]