On one day of the year, thousands of flowers and gifts exchange hands, and dimly lit restaurants are filled with couples. Valentine’s Day is when many couples celebrate their love. But for many women, relationships that are labelled as ‘loving’ are actually unhealthy or, at worst, abusive. SAT-7 ARABIC women’s programme Needle and New Thread is addressing this controversial issue. […]
Inner and outer beauty A recent episode of SAT-7 ARABIC show Needle and New Thread shared a Christian attitude to beauty from a somewhat surprising source. Sandra Saeed, crowned Miss Egypt International 2016, appeared on the popular women’s talk show to discuss the topic of inner and outer beauty. “Some people get their value from relationships, the car they drive, […]
For many girls across the Middle East and North Africa, rejection and discrimination are a daily reality. Widely considered of lower status and value than their brothers, their education and opportunities are limited, and their experience of injustice and abuse all too frequent. The season of Advent resounds with the song of Mary, Jesus’s mother, herself a young woman who […]
The recent allegations of sexual harassment over decades lodged against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and the domino effect on other public figures has sent ripples worldwide. The #metoo hashtag on social media united not only female victims but also many male supporters. My experience in Egypt, however, is that sexual harassment isn’t limited to the workspace but is loud […]
A dangerous prayer When Amira asked God for a marriage that was “out of the ordinary”, her prayer was answered – but not in the way she had expected. She and her fiancé, Farid, had a full and happy life serving alongside each other in their church until Farid’s sudden and severe kidney failure changed everything. Seven long years of […]
Supporting women survivors Modern wars, like those in Syria and Iraq, take place, not on battlefields, but in narrow streets and densely populated cities. Airstrikes on buildings, car bombs in markets, snipers on rooftops – these don’t discriminate between fighter and civilian. Over the 20th century the proportion of civilian casualties in war climbed from 5 per cent to 90 […]
Modern wars, like those in Syria and Iraq, take place, not on battlefields, but in narrow streets and densely populated cities. Airstrikes on buildings, car bombs in markets, snipers on rooftops – these don’t discriminate between fighter and civilian. Over the 20th century the proportion of civilian casualties in war climbed from 5 per cent to 90 per cent, according […]
Vitally important For women in the Middle East and North Africa, who are often confined to their homes and close family relationships, television is vitally important. Not only does it provide a valuable form of companionship, but it is also often their only source of information about issues impacting their lives. SAT-7’s broadcasts seek to empower and equip women with […]
Aiming to free women Across the Middle East, negative attitudes deliberately or unconsciously restrict the opportunities given to women and their ability to experience the fulness of life God wants for them. A new talk show from Bethlehem aims to free women from views that would diminish them, and help them make wise biblical choices about their lives. You are […]
The deep conflicts and crises of the region continue, even as the region is poised for an historic new development in northern Iraq. In Syria, so-called Islamic State (IS) continued to relinquish control of more of its territory, including parts of its self-declared capital of Raqqa. IS forces in Deir El-Zour are now under severe pressure from two sides, from […]