It has been a month of startling moves and developments that will have a seismic impact in the region. Four major developments dominated the news this month. Firstly, the official opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem (14 May). When President Trump first announced this last December, some saw it as a political move for domestic voters that would, nevertheless, […]
15 May 2018 The launch of SAT-7’s Persian television channel on a second satellite has seen the overall number of viewers contacting the channel double within its first year, including a surge in responses from Afghans. On 15 May 2017, SAT-7 PARS significantly expanded its audience reach by launching on the Yahsat satellite and, in doing so, became the only […]
Syria again took centre-stage in the Middle East after a suspected chemical attack threatened to spark a wider international confrontation. On 7 April, a suspected chemical attack on Douma, the last rebel-held area in Eastern Ghouta, triggered the latest crisis in the conflict in Syria. After an intensified bombing campaign by Syrian and Russian forces, rebel groups had already […]
Iran is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian, and there are thousands of underground Iranian believers practising their faith in secret. For those with no one to talk to about Jesus, SAT-7 has become not just a television channel, but also a virtual pastor, church, community and friend. But beyond the channel, our […]
Today millions of Persians around the world will celebrate Norouz, the Persian New Year and the first day of spring. SAT-7 PARS is celebrating with a special Norouz programme aimed at connecting with Persians around the world. CONNECTING WITH ISOLATED BELIEVERS Norouz, which translates as ‘New Day’, is a special time for Persians to spend with family and friends, […]
Spring is around the corner! On 21 March many Middle Eastern communities will mark the Norouz new year festival, an ancient day shared by many as the start of the Spring and a time of hope and renewal. Yet the region feels further from renewal than it was even a year ago. By the end of last year, we thought […]
By Hengameh Bourji Hengameh Bourji is one of the presenters of Insiders, a women’s talk show on SAT-7’s Persian channel. Here, she reflects on the hope that Jesus brings to women of all backgrounds, both in the Bible and in modern-day Iran. For us as Christians, the season of Lent and Easter is a time of rejuvenation and renewed hope. […]
New complications in the region’s conflicts are threatening to divide powerful allies. At the end of last year, there was an emerging view that the Syrian war had reached its peak and was starting to de-escalate. The last few weeks, however, have pointed in the opposite direction, with some of the fiercest aerial bombing campaigns by forces loyal to Assad […]
Religious faith has a bad image among Iran’s young adults and it’s easy to see why. Tight restrictions and harsh penalties imposed by its clerical leaders and enforced by religious police give many a very negative impression of belief – and not just their own. According to Moe Pooladfar – producer of a new SAT-7 youth show for the Persian […]
While 2017 saw military power finally overwhelm the territorial ambitions of so-called Islamic State, the lasting effects of conflict, continuing struggles between regional powers, and increasingly forceful policies being pursued by some mean that this is set to be another challenging year for the region. Iran made headlines at the turn of the year in a way that no-one had […]