A lot has happened in the Israel-Hamas war over the last two months, though a ceasefire expected since May has yet to emerge. As the one-year anniversary of the current conflict rapidly approaches, the suffering continues with no foreseeable end – and people in the wider region, particularly in Lebanon, live under the constant threat of further escalation.

You can also view the long-read version of this month’s Briefing at:
https://www.sat7uk.org/middle-east-briefing-september-2024/

Read "Prayers for peace amid Middle East tensions and conflict":
https://www.sat7uk.org/prayers-for-peace-amid-middle-east-tension-and-conflict/

Read "Amazigh Grace: God at work among the Kabyle speakers of Algeria":
https://www.sat7uk.org/amazigh-grace-god-at-work-among-the-kabyle-speakers-of-algeria/

Read "Restoring Hope in Afghanistan through education":
https://www.sat7uk.org/restoring-hope-in-afghanistan-through-education/

This month, Martin Thomas speaks with George Makeen, who has worked for SAT-7 for over twenty years, playing a major role in the development and growth of the organisation into a network of 4 channels. Originally from Cairo, Egypt, George is currently SAT-7’s Content Ministry Advisor, based in the International Office in Cyprus.

To watch the filmed studio interview with questions for reflection visit: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/in-conversation-with-george-makeen

To listen to more from The SAT-7 UK podcast visit: https://sat7uk.org/listen

Welcome to Voices of the Middle East, a SAT-7 UK podcast.

SAT-7 is an international Christian media ministry bringing life-changing joy to the people of the Middle East and North Africa. Last year we had over 103,000 one-to-one conversations with viewers, and through these conversations we are hearing constant stories of the ways God is at work in people’s lives.

In this podcast, we’ll share some of their stories with you, and invite you to pray for SAT-7 and the people of the region.

Today we bring you the story of Jamil, a young man from Egypt.

To pray with us every day, visit sat7uk.org/pray and download our latest Prayer Diary.

In this month’s Country Briefing, we journey to the easternmost reaches of SAT-7’s satellite footprint: the Central Asian nation of Tajikistan. The presenter of a new Tajik women’s talk show shares with us the difficulties faced by Christians in Tajikistan, but also how God is using SAT-7 to build His Church there.

Links:
Read the Tajikistan Country Briefing: https://www.sat7uk.org/the-tajikistan-briefing/

Watch/listen to Tajik worship song "Honour": https://youtu.be/xquVN9TzwPo

PRAY FOR TAJIKISTAN
- Pray that Tajik Christians will be allowed to gather in peace, and for a change in the laws to allow new churches to be registered

- Ask for God’s protection over Tajik Christians, particularly women and those who are vulnerable to harassment and violence

- Pray that In the World of Women's Thoughts will be a great support and encouragement to Christian women in the Persian world

- Pray that SAT-7 PARS will be able to find new Christian presenters from Tajikistan and Afghanistan who can appear on TV without any security concerns

- Give thanks that people in Tajikistan are coming to faith in Jesus through SAT-7’s programmes! Ask for more to watch with open hearts to receive Him.

Amidst the ongoing devastation in the Holy Land, Gaza’s small Christian community has suffered significant losses. Many sought refuge in the Holy Family Church, which was recently hit by an Israeli airstrike. Among the 600 people sheltering in the church was Faeqa Ayyad, a 12-year old girl who shared her story on SAT-7.

Other key highlights from this month's Briefing:

- Lebanon's growing anxiety
- Sudan on the brink of famine
- Iran's political shift
- Stories of hope through film

Don’t forget to go deeper with the long-read Briefing article at:
www.sat7uk.org/middle-east-briefing-july-2024

Emily Shurmer recently interviewed Marianne Awaraji, a beloved presenter and Audience Relations Manager for SAT-7’s Arabic channels. She finds out more about Marianne’s work with SAT-7’s viewer support team, which provides practical support, prayer and advice to hundreds of SAT-7 viewers each day. Marianne’s team mostly hear from non-Christian viewers asking questions about faith – listen as Marianne shares her powerful stories of God at work in people’s lives.

To watch the filmed studio interview and to pray for Marianne and the viewer support team visit: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/in-conversation-with-marianne-awaraji

This month, in our first ever Country Briefing, we take a closer look at Sudan – a nation that has been gripped by war since April 2023. To date, the conflict has displaced over 8 million people and left around 25 million in dire need of humanitarian aid. Many Christians have faced threats and forced displacement, and churches have been attacked.

Read the full article here: https://www.sat7uk.org/country-briefing-june-2024

PRAY FOR SUDAN:

• For protection and safety: Pray for the safety of Christians caught in the crossfire of the ongoing conflict. Ask for God's protection over their lives, homes, and places of worship, and for an end to targeted violence against them.

• For provision of basic needs: Pray for the provision of essential resources such as food, clean water, and medical aid. Many Christians are struggling to survive amidst the fighting, so ask for God's provision and support from international aid organisations.

• For strength and unity: Give thanks for the strength and unity within the Christian community. Ask God to help them support one another and remain strong in their faith despite the challenges they face. Give thanks that through SAT-7, they can find fellowship and support from other believers.

• For peace and stability: Pray for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Sudan. Ask for wisdom and humility for the leaders involved, and for international efforts to successfully mediate and bring about lasting peace.

• For religious freedom: Pray for the protection and enhancement of religious freedoms in Sudan. Ask God to soften the hearts of those in power and to protect the rights of all religious minorities in the country.

Martin Thomas, recently interviewed Rami Al-Halaseh, who took up his position as Executive Director of SAT-7 ARABIC’s satellite TV and digital media channel, just months before the events of 7 October 2023. He started, by asking Rami about the ongoing conflict in the Holy Land at this time, how he feels it's been impacting Christians on the ground in the region, but also how it’s been impacting him and his team personally.

For key questions for reflection and to watch the filmed studio interview, visit: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/in-conversation-with-rami-al-halaseh