Egypt Rejoices! That’s the English translation of the highest trending hashtag this past month in Egypt. On 6 August 2015, the New Suez Canal was opened with grand ceremony by President Al-Sisi. Billboards heralded the opening as “Egypt’s miracle and gift to the world” as Egypt’s head of state oversaw the opening from the deck of the El-Mahrousa – the […]
Pride in Egypt’s miracle canal
The traditional values beneath a modern face that keep women at risk – August 2015
Well of course a man should beat his wife if she cheats on him!” It has been three years since my friend made that comment with a laugh, as I stared at her with a stunned expression, and yet I still remember it clearly. It was the first time since coming to Lebanon that I realised the depth of the […]
The Briefing – August 2015
The latest twist in the ever-turning Middle East has been Turkey’s sudden engagement in the war against Islamic State and an unexpected renewal of conflict with Kurdish separatists. Iran’s proposed renewal of relations with the West has also put the cat among the pigeons. News from the region The deal reached on Iran’s nuclear development programme continues to stir a […]
Needle And Thread Exposes Racism In Egypt
SAT-7 ARABIC women’s magazine Needle and Thread ventured into new grounds last month when it dedicated an episode to discuss the problems facing Sudanese refugees in Egypt, especially discrimination, exploitation and racism. “The topic of this episode has been tugging at my heart for years—every time I see a Sudanese woman or child in Egypt. I have been imagining and […]
SAT-7 KIDS Team Inspired By Orphans In South Sudan
Team inspired by youngsters’ faith and joy Meeting people who have suffered gravely but who continue to praise God generously is always humbling – and especially so when they are children. In war-ravaged and poverty-stricken South Sudan, a crew from SAT-7 KIDS was surprised to find joy and thankfulness among orphans who have lost their families to conflict. A team […]
A rising generation – July 2015
Beneath the blue skies of Palestine, in the cheerful, vibrant town of Bethlehem, there lives a rising generation. It’s a generation of new graduates, celebrating with many, the joys of completing their long periods of study. Among them are around 50 students graduating from Bethlehem Bible College (BBC) who finished their educational journey on 13 June. Acting as MC of […]
Charlie, Charlie and Egypt’s fascination with fate and fortune (July 2015)
“Charlie, Charlie, are you here?” One of the latest – and strangest – internet phenomena has been the Charlie Charlie Challenge: a curious game that uses something similar to a Ouija Board with yes/no answers, and two pencils to summon a demon named Charlie. Participants ask questions about the future and Charlie is said to respond with a “yes” or […]
The Christians made homeless in Egypt
Only the intervention of government figures, faith and human rights organisations made it possible for five Egyptian Christian families to return to their homes after mob violence drove them from their village. SAT-7 Egypt journalist Mary Joseph describes how religious extremism and Egypt’s informal legal process of “reconciliation sessions” can result in Christians being expelled from their communities. Ayman, an […]
The Briefing – July 2015
While Middle East Muslims observed the Ramadan fast during the height of summer, a wave of terrorist attacks sent shockwaves across the world. News from the region Terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Egypt, and Kuwait this month shook the region and impacted many lives beyond it. ISIS-affiliated militants sought to do multiple things with these killings. Attacking Western holiday makers in […]
Touching the Heart of a Refugee
In the fall-out of war, the need for food, shelter and other basic needs is obvious to all. But refugees’ “spirits also need care”. Dr Kathryn Kraft describes how Lebanese churches are doing this and how we can learn from them. A few weeks ago, I was sharing with a friend at my church in London about my research with […]