Home for Sudan-born Ashwaq is a tiny, one-bedroom flat she shares with her baby son in Cairo. It’s a lonely and precarious existence. A long way from the one she dreamed of when she graduated in psychology and pre-school education, and came to Egypt in search of work. Tears flow as this young woman talks to the makers of SAT-7 […]
The month has been marked both by diplomacy and power struggles on an international level. Away from the headlines, Middle East churches continued to work and pray for peace and freedom. Hopeful diplomatic moves continue across the region. President Erdogan of Turkey has been warmly welcomed in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a marked change from the tensions that have […]
SAT-7 has called on Christians across the Arab world to join in prayer for Sudan by airing prayers for peace from an interdenominational church service in Khartoum. Below: watch clip of Pastor Hafiz Fassaha and of worshipping congregation in Khartoum A week-long series of clips were shared on social media beginning 20 January. This followed street protests on 17 January […]
A year ago, Sudan stood out as the North African country where the signs of change were brightest, despite endemic poverty and a legacy of authoritarian rule and rebel movements. But on 25 October this year, the transition towards civilian rule and democracy came to an abrupt halt. Military forces arrested civilian Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and other senior officials. […]
A new landmark series on SAT-7 ARABIC is drawing together women from three generations and six Arab countries to encourage change in male-dominated families and communities. From the start the Egyptian production team for The Secret Within set themselves a twofold challenge. Firstly, to find articulate, open-hearted women from three generations who understand biblical truth and women’s rights, and, secondly, […]
The Middle Eastern Christian communities that follow the western calendar came together this Easter to remind themselves of Christ’s victory over death and the coming of God’s kingdom in a broken world. Continuing conflicts and rivalries showed it’s a message that is much needed in the region. Thousands of Christians in Jerusalem processed down the Mount of Olives in the […]
The Briefing’s Middle East analyst outlines the factors that will shape the next year in the region. Another year starts with hopes, fears, anxieties and prayers. It is almost impossible to remember that last year began with the US strike against a major Iranian defence figure, Qassim Soleimani, which led many to think that 2020 could bring war with massive […]
Middle East leaders and peoples have been as interested in the outcome of the US presidential elections as have those in the West. Although it is too early to see what a Biden policy towards the Middle East will be, the goals and policies of US administrations for the region affect the lives of millions. It is expected that Biden […]
Parts of the region are seeing welcome signs of peace this month, even as Lebanon struggled to pick itself up from a massive disaster in its capital. August’s explosion at the port in Beirut inflicted unprecedented damage across the Lebanese capital and wrecked its main export and import hub. Over 200 people died, thousands were injured and an estimated 300,000 […]
The vulnerability of many of the essential ingredients for peace and security – freedom from conflict, basic utilities, health and food security, and freedom of belief– were exposed once again in another challenging month in the region. In Turkey, President Erdogan has ordered that Hagia Sophia, Istanbul’s fifth century basilica and a World Heritage Site, should become a mosque again. The structure […]