MIDDLE EAST: Bringing Christ to the Middle East via satellite

A Catholic charity is partnering with a satellite broadcaster to offer a lifeline of faith for Christians in Muslim-majority countries.

Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) is supporting SAT-7, an ecumenical Christian organisation, which operates four satellite channels in three languages – Arabic, Turkish and Farsi – reaching millions.

In many countries, those who have come to believe in Christ have to live their faith in secret – in such cases, SAT-7 may be the only source of information about the Faith.

The broadcaster has received testimonies and other messages from viewers in countries including Iran and Afghanistan.

Even though there are numerous ancient Christian communities in Muslim-majority countries, conversion from Islam to Christianity is frowned upon at best –and sometimes even punishable by death.

Kurt Johansen, Executive Director at SAT-7, told ACN that there are measures in place to ensure viewers are not put in danger – for instance, employees are trained to detect potential infiltrators.

He said that a number of countries have refused to grant the organisation permission to operate – but this does not stop them because even the most oppressive governments cannot block a satellite signal.

He explained: “In Iran it is forbidden to own a satellite dish, but the Iranian government has several satellite channels.

“This is because the Iranian regime knows that the vast majority of its citizens do, in fact, own satellite dishes, which they can buy for just €20 [£17].

“Satellite TV is still king of media in many parts of the world, especially where the internet is poor, expensive, and often controlled by the government.

“We are investing more in digital now, but we will probably never move away from satellite – that is where the poor people are.”

SAT-7 aims to produce its content locally, but this is often not possible.

Mr Johansen said: “We have had to relocate some of our teams for security [reasons]”, adding that he finds the Christian community’s support and generosity remarkable.

He highlighted: “In one case, in Egypt, after a fire destroyed our studio, Christians came to our aid.

“Some sold rings and cars, to give us money, and in the end, we got more money from the Egyptian Christians than we had before.

“We overcome, and we go forward, and we don’t want to be seen as victims.

“Yes, we are a minority, but we have a role to play, and our message is hope and life.”

In addition to striving to “build bridges with Muslims”, the broadcaster also promotes unity between Christians from different denominations and ethnic backgrounds, according to Mr Johansen.

He said: “We focus on what we have in common, on what unites us.”

He added: “We have Greeks and Turks working together, we have Turks and Armenians working together.

“This is a good witness to the world.”

SAT-7’s only revenue comes from donations, and ACN has been supporting the organisation for more than 10 years.

With thanks to Filipe d’Avillez