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 […]
For once, this month global media attention was drawn to the region for positive reasons. The visit of Pope Francis to Iraq shone a light on a community hoping for healing and reconciliation and on the historic presence of Christians in the Middle East. In Iraq, this month saw the first ever visit of a Vatican Pope. Despite security and […]
A mercy mission and last-minute surgery arranged by the SAT-7 programme You Are Not Alone was recently able to save the life of a young Syrian refugee baby. A follow-up visit to the family reminded SAT-7 viewers that the lives of Syrians affected by a ten-year civil war remain precarious and the most vulnerable continue to suffer the most. Baby […]
A decade into the Syrian civil war, a humanitarian crisis continues to beleaguer Syrians and refugee host countries. Tenuous infrastructures and economies are buckling further under the pressure of pandemic shutdowns. The educational brand SAT-7 ACADEMY has adapted to this emergency, mobilising cutting-edge teaching models to support children. The threatening mantra uttered by Assad loyalists at the beginning of the […]
The people of the Middle East often seem to have more than their share of the world’s tragedies. Some make it to the news, others barely, but all leave deep scars and questions of whether their lives have value, or whether they and their families have a safe and prosperous future. Last weekend, a fuel tanker explosion at an Iran–Afghanistan […]
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 […]
After an extraordinary year of hardship and isolation, a SAT-7 ARABIC Christmas special will join Christians across the Middle East and North Africa together in joy and service to others. Families from Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria will participate from their homes, in a celebration that will give aid to struggling and homeless families in Lebanon. “During hard […]
SAT-7 KIDS viewer Anthony recently called in to popular children’s programme Bible Heroes to share a prayer in which he brought all his concerns to God: Hi, Karen and Elie, how are you? I’m Anthony Attia from Syria. Today I want to pray for all the needy and the water crisis happening here in Al Hasakah. Lord Jesus, if you […]
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 […]
A long-contested enclave on the fringe of the Middle East hit the headlines this month as a new upsurge of fighting claimed at least 300 lives in Nagorno–Karabakh. This mountainous enclave (known as Artsakh by Armenians) neighbours Iran, is near neighbour to Turkey, Russia and Georgia, and sits between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Despite its majority Armenian population, it was made an autonomous zone within Azerbaijan when both states came under Russian control in the 1920s. There have been cycles of clashes since the collapse of the Soviet Union and a 1988 decision by the enclave to become as an independent republic. Full-scale fighting between 1992 and 1994 killed tens of […]
