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). […]
For decades North Africa’s young people have pushed against social, economic and religious restrictions. A Moroccan Christian shares their struggles and the new paths some are finding as they turn to Christ. Ever since they shook off European rule or “mandates” between 1951 and 1962, the five countries forming Northwest Africa (known collectively as the “Maghreb”) have not served their […]
As western flower sellers, restaurants and chocolatiers prepare for a Valentine’s Day bonanza, how do couples in the Middle East mark the day – or do they? In Saudi Arabia, it is the religious police who swoop on chocolatiers and flower sellers, zealous to enforce a ban on the celebration as a western import that incites immorality. In Iran, the […]
The Church of England’s only Syrian-born clergyman, Dr Nadim Nassar, is also Director of the London-based Awareness Foundation, a charity that provides peace-making education in Syria and Iraq and builds understanding between faiths in the UK. SAT-7 UK’s Press and Communications Officer, Lindsay Shaw, spoke to him just after he returned from Beirut where, among other things, he had filmed […]
New service to target 21 million out of school or at risk of dropping out SAT-7 is preparing to introduce an educational channel that will help meet the desperate need for improved schooling in the MENA region. It is scheduled to air in summer 2017 with special programmes for children, parents and teachers. Unrest and war across the Middle East […]
There is a new phenomenon in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). In a part of the world where religion traditionally shapes every area of life, there is a growth in religious doubt and questioning. Increasing numbers now call themselves atheists. Accurate figures are impossible to obtain in a region where non-belief could land you in jail. But one […]
Mardin, in south-east Turkey, has lately become a haven from surrounding conflict. A SAT-7 TÜRK team member joined the first national gathering of young Turkish Christians in the city – hearing their journeys of faith and meeting non-Christians curious to learn what it is that Christians believe. This is the first of a two-part report. Mardin is one of the […]
A SAT-7 TÜRK film crew visited the first ever Christian youth event in Mardin, Turkey, at which two teenage Syrian refugees were baptised. More than 30 young Christians from across eastern Turkey gathered in the ancient city of Mardin, which is just 20 miles from the Syrian border, for the historic meeting. The three-day gathering included teaching, worship services and visits […]
Not Any Kind of Youth (“Mesh Ay Shabab” in Arabic) is aimed at helping young people to understand their value to God and how they can have a fruitful spiritual life. It addresses topics such as self-image, money, fear and relationships. Young people are invited to share their personal experiences.
With half the population of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) aged under 25, it is not difficult to see why attracting and influencing the region’s youth is a priority for SAT-7.