Türkiye, a nation bridging East and West, was once the heart of early Christianity and is home to many foundational moments in the Church’s story – from the journeys of the Apostle Paul to the Council of Nicaea. Yet today, Christianity is often misunderstood and marginalised among Turks. This briefing explores Türkiye’s Christian heritage, its complex modern landscape, and the […]
Home to Africa’s northernmost point, Tunisia has a diverse and vibrant culture. Although the country has a rich Christian heritage and was once the centre of Christianity in North Africa, today less than 1% of Tunisians are Christian. As the birthplace of the Arab Spring, Tunisia has enjoyed over a decade of progressive social policy, particularly in relation to women’s […]
Syria is a country rich in culture and history, but after enduring a long and brutal civil war that raged for over a decade and displaced millions of Syrians, communities are just beginning to rebuild their lives. After the Assad regime collapsed, new leaders spoke of inclusion and freedom, but for Syria’s religious minorities the future remains uncertain. Yet despite […]
Over a year since the Hamas-led attack on Israel, conflict in the Middle East has continued to escalate, leaving around 2 million people displaced. But despite the ongoing conflicts, SAT-7 continues to broadcast messages of hope to the region – and viewers keep getting in touch with stories of God at work in their lives. In this month’s Briefing, we’ll […]
A lot has happened in the Israel-Hamas war over the last two months, though a ceasefire expected since May has yet to emerge. As the one-year anniversary of the current conflict rapidly approaches, the suffering continues with no foreseeable end – and people in the wider region, particularly in Lebanon, live under the constant threat of further escalation. Churches appeal […]
In this month’s Country Briefing, we journey to the easternmost reaches of SAT-7’s satellite footprint: the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan. The presenter of a new Tajik women’s talk show shares with us the difficulties faced by Christians in Tajikistan, but also how God is using SAT-7 to build His Church there. Click here to listen to the 7-minute audio […]
“We urgently need to find our way back to peace in line with the UN Charter [of Human Rights] and international law.” This was the impassioned message that Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, sent to the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council last month. Prominent among the examples he gave were Gaza, Sudan, Syria […]
Freedom and security seem ever more elusive in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This month, we bring you various reports on religious freedom, women’s rights and press freedom, as well as more hopeful news from Syria. Freedom of religion and of belief is “being challenged more and more” around the world, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom […]
While the Holy Land and Sudan continued to suffer ruinous wars this month, Iran had elections with record low turnouts as it prepared to celebrate Nowruz, the Persian new year. Unrelenting conflicts in Gaza and Sudan have brought both countries to a new level of suffering. Many of the 300,000 Palestinians still living in the north of Gaza have been […]
A year on from the two devastating earthquakes that hit Türkiye and Syria, the repercussions are still being felt for many people who live in the two countries. Elsewhere, the new World Watch List highlights the dangers facing Christians the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and conflict in the Holy Land continues to deepen, bringing stronger calls from international […]