New government heralds an epoch of change After popular protests removed President Omar al-Bashir last year, Sudan has been engaged in a three-year transition towards democracry. Teresa Sfeir, who lectures at the Arab Baptist Theological Seminary in Beirut, examines the progress made and the significant challenges still to be overcome. The people of Sudan refused to back down this time. […]
When armed authorities came to close down Riki Church in north-eastern Algeria, they were met with the peace of Christ. In a new SAT-7 documentary, Riki Church’s leader and other Algerian pastors speak out, sharing their stories of injustice and how believers are standing for their rights while remaining peacemakers in their communities. “Three cars showed up here with men […]
“You can seal our churches but you can’t seal our hearts” is the cry from Algeria as churches are being sealed shut despite Article 42 of the Algerian Constitution guaranteeing its citizens freedom to worship and the freedom to meet for a service. The 15 October closure of the largest of these – the 1,200-member Full Gospel Church of Tizi […]
Amidst heightened tensions in the Persian Gulf and political standoffs and transitions from Turkey to North Africa, the cause of persecuted Christians was remembered in Iraq and in a UK Foreign Office report. Sudan remained in the headlines as the first mass demonstrations were held since the massacre at a sit-in protest last month. Protesters again took to the streets […]
Iraqi girl who “captured millions of hearts” urges Christians to pray, bring hope to refugee children A refugee girl who fled so-called Islamic State (IS) but captured the hearts of millions on TV and social media with a message of hope and forgiveness is calling on Christians to take action on World Refugee Day, 20 June. “Please, please, don’t forget […]
Many SAT-7 viewers in Iran live with fears of arrest and betrayal in addition to the economic pressures faced by all Iranians. Yet their testimonies to God’s grace and goodness are an inspiration, says Hephzibah, who has translated many of their messages. Seeing the messages sent by SAT-7 PARS viewers is both “heartbreaking” and “inspiring”. So says Hephzibah, a US-based […]
As Egypt’s Christians mourned a deadly gun attack on Coptic Christian pilgrims, SAT-7’s Arabic channels led believers in prayer and offered counselling through its live Speak Up programme. One of the viewers who called in to the Speak Up broadcast was affected directly: “The events caused pain for all of us and those who saw the pictures and saw the […]
Amid a rise in religious intolerance “sensitivity” is key, Alistair Burt told delegates at a Conservative Party fringe event on Wednesday 3 October. “Incidents of religious intolerance and religious discrimination are on the rise across the globe,” Rt Hon Alistair Burt, Minister of State for the Middle East, said on Wednesday. He was speaking at a prayer breakfast on religious […]
As this year’s World Refugee Day arrives (20 June), the Middle East retains the unenviable record of being both source and host of the largest number of displaced people in the world. But amidst their hardships, large numbers of refugees who have been shown practical love by Christians are finding a new relationship with God. In Greater Amman, Jordan, SAT-7 […]
I first met Abou Younes* when he came along to the Life Center Beirut looking for help with food. His journey to Beirut had begun with a harrowing escape from Daesh/Islamic State and involved selling the last of his possessions to pay a smuggler to take his large family across the Syrian border into Lebanon. They just had the […]
