As the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan this August, the focus of international news highlighted vulnerable groups such as women and ethnic minorities, and fears that progress made over the last 20 years in human rights, education and democracy might be reversed. A less well-known area has been the growth of a small indigenous Church of mostly secret believers. […]
Christians in Afghanistan face an existential threat from the Taliban. Revd Tat Stewart, one of the founders of SAT-7 PARS, recalls when Iranian Christians also feared they would be wiped out, 40 years ago. And yet the years since have proven that “the gates of hell cannot prevail”. He shares how the story of the Iranian Church can give us […]
How should we pray for Afghanistan as its people face an uncertain future under Taliban rule alongside drought, poverty and a global pandemic? To help us, Afghan church leader Shoaib Ebadi turns to the prayer our Saviour taught us, the Lord’s Prayer. Please pray with us now for Afghanistan. “Our Heavenly Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. We praise You, Lord. You are a […]
“I came to Christ a year ago. The Kabul situation is dreadful. Please help us! The lives of my eight-year-old daughter and my own are both in danger.” This message from a single father in Afghanistan is typical of the urgent cries for help SAT-7 has received in the last few days as the Taliban seized control of the country. […]
“I came to Christ a year ago. The Kabul situation is dreadful. Please help us! The lives of my eight-year-old daughter and my own are both in danger.” This message from a single father in Afghanistan is typical of the urgent cries for help SAT-7 has received in the last few days. A 16-year-old girl messaged: “People are terrified, everyone […]
Christian TV broadcaster SAT-7 has appealed for prayer for Afghanistan as tens of thousands attempt to flee Taliban advances that endanger the lives of women, western allies, minorities, and Christian believers. Tens of thousands of Afghan families are trying to escape the fighting between the insurgents and Afghan military, and are living in fear of what a return to Taliban […]
As a 20-year war led by US forces against the Taliban draws to an end in Afghanistan, concerns grow for the safety of the civilian population in the light of Taliban advances. Meanwhile, basic needs for water, food and fuel are uppermost in minds in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon. Two decades ago, in response to the 9/11 attacks by al-Qaeda, […]
Despite the real dangers presented by militant groups, the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan could allow the country’s better educated younger population to take greater responsibility for the country’s future. Afghan broadcaster and pastor, Shoaib Ebadi, the presenter of one of SAT-7’s programmes for Afghanistan, shared his views on the country’s future and called for unity at […]
The horrifying prevalence of “honour” killings in parts of Iran and Afghanistan was exposed in a recent edition of SAT-7 PARS’ Insiders programme. Fariba*, a writer and activist involved in poverty eradication and empowerment in rural areas of Iran, spoke of women she knew who live with the threat of violence from relatives. Nor are they all young, as we […]
The people of the Middle East often seem to have more than their share of the world’s tragedies. Some make it to the news, others barely, but all leave deep scars and questions of whether their lives have value, or whether they and their families have a safe and prosperous future. Last weekend, a fuel tanker explosion at an Iran–Afghanistan […]