The first ever visit by a Catholic Pope to the Arabian Peninsula gave an important boost to religious coexistence in the region this month. During a three-day trip to Abu Dhabi (UAE), Pope Francis met with the Crown Prince, took part in a two-day “Conference on Human Fraternity” attended by 600 religious leaders and opinion shapers, and led a mass […]
As we approach the end of 2018, we take our annual look back over the last twelve months. Two themes stand out: each year since the 2011 Middle East uprisings has seen new shifts of power and a crumbling of the old order, and every year the faithfulness of the region’s Church continued to inspire. One of the most striking […]
When George Makeen found himself in a sticky situation during an Egypt-Algeria football match, it revealed to him the power of Jesus to bring people together. In his latest blog post, the SAT-7 ARABIC Programming Director shares his joy over how SAT-7’s North African programmes are doing the same for lonely believers. Having grown up in Egypt, I knew little about North […]
Hamid and Aya, a Moroccan father and daughter, show what a healthy parent-daughter relationship looks like through their SAT-7 KIDS programme Me and My Daughter. By re-enacting their real-life everyday ups and downs, they encourage viewers of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to strive for healthy family relationships. In a patriarchal society, where fathers are authority figures to […]
The United Nations has urged Syria, Russia and Iran to avoid a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Syria’s Idlib province as Syrian forces and allies are poised for an offensive on the country’s last remaining rebel stronghold. The latest stage in the Syrian war is about to start with an imminent military operation against the rebel held city of Idlib. Over 60 […]
While voters in Turkey conferred sweeping new powers on President Erdogan, populations that feel left behind in Iraq and Morocco are demanding more attention from their political rulers A new chapter has begun in Turkey after President Erdogan won an historic presidential election with more than 52 per cent of the votes. Thanks to an alliance with the Nationalist Movement […]
“I’m writing you this letter to tell you the true story of how I met you for the first time.” SAT-7 recently received a beautiful letter from Ayman* in Morocco. Ayman shared how our early broadcasts comforted him at a difficult time, sparking a desire for God that has remained with him for almost two decades. Ayman shared the struggles […]
Rachid, a pastor serving in several areas of Morocco, describes his experiences and faith in his day-to-day life. I am Pastor Rachid from Morocco. I lead a Church here and serve Christ in several parts of the country through discipleship training, education, church planting and media. My journey to faith in Jesus Christ and service in Morocco has involved many […]
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 […]
Young and hopeless Population: 31 million; 99% Sunni Muslim; <1% Jewish; <1% Christian Literacy: 82% men; 62% women With a median age of 29, Morocco has a young population. But like youths in neighbouring North African countries, their horizons are limited. Some 22 per cent of young men and 38 per cent of young women are unemployed (Al-Monitor, June 2013). […]
