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 […]
Public attention at home and in the Middle East and North Africa understandably turned inward in recent months as we faced the COVID-19 pandemic. But for others the pandemic has been a cover for more menacing activities. Since January 2020 there has been a surge in attacks by so-called Islamic State (IS) groups in Syria and Iraq. Eastern areas of […]
Passover, Easter and soon Ramadan will be marked in isolation in the Middle East this year. We look at how alarm over a string of man-made conflicts in the region has been overtaken by fear of a new enemy and how countries are responding. You could be forgiven for forgetting the fear that circled the globe following the US strike […]
While Iraqi demonstrators have been calling out to be heard by their rulers in some of the largest protests since the fall of Saddam, SAT-7 viewers heard that churches in Iraq are crying out to God for their nation. Revd Joseph Francis, the President of the Christian Alliance Churches in Iraq, told SAT-7 worship and prayer show Keep on Singing, […]
A month of new political and military collaborations has produced a temporary ceasefire and some progress in Syria. Representatives of Middle East churches, meanwhile, gathered to consider their future in the region and heard calls for a Christian homeland in Iraq. The last few weeks have seen remarkable developments in Syria. It began with a rapprochement between Turkey and Russia […]
Terror in Ramadan A spate of deadly bombings by so-called Islamic State sent shockwaves as Muslims marked Ramadan, the month of fasting. Meanwhile, in the UK the 6 July publication of the Chilcot report was a timely reminder of how the West is no distant spectator of events unfolding in the Middle East. Actions taken or avoided in the UK […]
Through many of its broadcasts, SAT-7 links Middle East Christians – young and old – in intercession for others who suffer across the Middle East. Live magazine programmes on SAT-7 ARABIC and live children’s shows on SAT-7 KIDS feature call-in segments, where callers often seek prayer for believers and others who suffer in the face of violence across the region.
SAT-7 viewers in Iraq are among those at risk as a result of the advance of militant groups in the north of the country. SAT-7 ARABIC is calling on viewers to pray for them (see pic: “We pray for the people of Iraq. Pray with us.”) In this report, SAT-7 founder Dr Terence Ascott and a Middle East analyst comment. […]
A SAT-7 crew filming on the streets of Baghdad heard startling testimonies from people living with the constant threat of terror attacks – and discovered that SAT-7 has a major presence in many people’s lives. A small filming crew from SAT-7 Egypt went to great personal risk when they stepped off the plane in Baghdad a few months ago. Public […]
Lina Dawood is 18 and is from Iraq. She has grown up with the reality of the Iraqi war around her and has seen the devastation. Yet she still has faith. We were privileged enough to meet her and hear her story about growing up in Baghdad through the war and poverty. ‘When the fighting began, I didn’t understand what […]
