The SAT-7 UK Podcast

SAT-7 UK

Welcome to The SAT-7 UK Podcast. Conflict. Poverty. Persecution. That’s the story of the Middle East we’ve become accustomed to. But amidst the crises you see and hear on the news, there is another story being told. For over 26 years SAT-7 has shown God’s love across the Middle East and North Africa broadcasting across four television channels and digital media, in Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish - reaching millions of viewers in 25 countries, 365 days a year. Join us at home or on the go, as we take a stand against the negativity and despair that so often surrounds the region. Listen as we unpack the news and issues in our 7-minute podcasts. Subscribe today on your platform of choice and stay even more in touch with the latest news, features and in-conversation interviews by signing up today at sat7uk.org.

  1. Around the Table - Being Young in the MENA: Youth, Identity, and Shaping the Future

    APR 14

    Around the Table - Being Young in the MENA: Youth, Identity, and Shaping the Future

    Being Young in the MENA: Youth, Identity, and Shaping the Future In this episode of Around the Table, we explore what it really means to be young in the Middle East and North Africa today. With over half the region’s population under the age of 30, this is a generation shaping the present as much as the future—full of creativity, resilience, and potential, while also navigating significant challenges. Together, we step beyond the headlines to hear a more nuanced story. From questions of identity and belonging to the realities of opportunity, uncertainty, and hope, this conversation offers insight into life through the eyes of young people across the region. We also reflect on the role of media in this landscape—how it influences, informs, and connects young audiences, and why platforms like SAT-7 are vital in creating space for authentic stories, and the Good News of Jesus, to be shared. This isn’t a conversation about easy answers. It’s about listening — to the challenges young people face, to the questions they’re asking, and to the hope they carry as they navigate a rapidly changing world and help shape its future. Whether you’re listening on your favourite podcast platform or via the SAT-7 UK website, we’re glad you’ve joined us around the table.   Show Note Resources: SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/ SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

    1h 2m
  2. Around the Table - Hidden but Not Silent: Women in Afghanistan

    MAR 11

    Around the Table - Hidden but Not Silent: Women in Afghanistan

    Join us for another impactful conversation Around the Table, SAT-7 UK’s podcast where voices from the UK, the Middle East, and North Africa come together for honest, faith-filled conversations that go deeper than the headlines. In this special episode marking International Women’s Day, hosts Sophie Griffith, George Makeen and Martin Thomas are joined by best-selling author Karen Bartlett and distinguished TV producer and director Mikael Tunér. Together, they take part in a powerful and thought-provoking conversation about Afghanistan, exploring vital themes including women’s rights, justice, faith and the role of the media. While the discussion is not always easy, it is both necessary and deeply important — and one we hope you’ll find as insightful as it is compelling. For many of us, Afghanistan filled the headlines in 2021, with images of chaos, desperation, and departure as Western forces completed their withdrawal from the country. Then, almost as suddenly, it slipped from view; but for the people of Afghanistan, the story didn’t simply end there. So, in this episode, we take a deeper look at what life has been like since August 2021: the impact on women, on justice, on faith, and on the voices that are still finding ways to be heard, even under extreme pressure. We would have loved to have included the voices of women from Afghanistan in this episode. Unfortunately, due to security concerns, this wasn’t possible. Instead, we draw on the insights of people who have worked closely with Afghan women and their stories. We hope that Karen’s experience interviewing many of the Afghan women judges for her book Escape from Kabul, combined with Mikael’s heart for women’s programming after growing up in Afghanistan, makes for a compelling and inspiring conversation. This conversation is not about quick answers or simple conclusions. Rather it’s about listening — to stories of resilience, to the role of media and faith in closed spaces, and to the quiet hope that continues to exist even where freedom is severely restricted. Whether you’re listening on your favourite podcast platform or via the SAT-7 UK website, we’re glad you’ve joined us around the table.   Show Note Resources: SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/ Check out: Karen Bartlett’s Book: The Escape from Kabul: A True Story of Sisterhood and Defiance SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

    49 min
  3. 7 ways to pray for the Middle East this March

    FEB 27

    7 ways to pray for the Middle East this March

    Welcome to 7 Ways to Pray, a monthly podcast brought to you by SAT-7. This month, let us lead you on a prayer-filled tour of seven of the countries and areas SAT-7 works in, taking in Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Gulf, Syria, the UK and North Africa. We hope you’re encouraged to hear some of the amazing stories of God at work in the MENA through SAT-7, as well as challenged to intercede for those who are facing difficult times. View a map of the region: Map Show Note Resources: Find out more about SAT-7’s continued support of Iranian viewers:https://www.sat7uk.org/standing-in-the-gap-daily-prayer-for-iran/ Read more about Sun of Hope, which is bringing education to viewers in Afghanistan: https://www.sat7uk.org/dari-education-in-afghanistan/ Discover how Iraqi churches are being rebuilt against the odds: https://www.sat7uk.org/restoring-churches-and-hope-for-iraqi-chritians/ Learn about SAT-7’s media training workshops in North Africa:https://www.sat7uk.org/equipping-north-africans-to-tell-their-own-stories/ Read Insight magazine for more on stories from the Gulf, Syria and the UK:https://www.sat7uk.org/for-you/sat-7-magazine/ Download March Prayer Diary:https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/pray/   Prayer Points: Dear God, Lord, we bring all of these countries and places before you in prayer. We pray that you will continue to comfort and encourage your people in Iran. We thank you that against the odds, SAT-7 is bringing education to adults and children in Afghanistan. We pray for continued restoration of your people and churches in Iraq. We give you thanks that believers in North Africa are being empowered to share their own stories and reach their communities for Christ. We thank you for breakthroughs in Saudi Arabia and Oman, and pray this will lead to even greater opportunities for your name. We pray for your strength and comfort for believers in Syria, like Taim, who feel rejected and alone. Finally, we pray your blessing on the plans of SAT-7 UK, especially as we look forward to Prom Praise. In His name, Amen.

    13 min
  4. Around the Table - From conflict to connection

    FEB 11

    Around the Table - From conflict to connection

    Join us for another powerful conversation Around the Table, SAT-7 UK’s podcast where voices from the UK, the Middle East, and North Africa come together for honest, faith-filled conversations that go deeper than the headlines.  In this episode, hosts Sophie Griffith and Martin Thomas are joined by Dr. Martin Accad and Dan Morrice for a thoughtful and timely conversation about peacebuilding.  Together, they explore how faith communities are actively fostering peace in divided contexts. From inspiring stories of reconciliation to courageous leadership across the region, this episode shines a light on the hope-filled work already underway. We also reflect on what it means for each of us to become peacemakers in our own everyday lives — wherever we are.  These are the conversations that remind us of the hope, courage, and creativity shaping lives across the Middle East and North Africa — and how we can all play a part in God’s bigger story of transformation.  If you care about justice, reconciliation, and real stories that challenge stereotypes and build bridges, this episode is for you.  Show Note Resources:  SAT-7 UK: https://www.sat7uk.org/  Check out:  Dan Morrice’s Book: Finding the Peacemakers: A Journey of Faith from the Mines of  Chile to the Deserts of the Middle East  Martin Accad’s Book: Sacred Misinterpretation: Reaching Across the Christian- Muslim Divide  SAT-7 UK Podcasts: https://www.sat7uk.org/pages/sat-7-uk-podcast/

    1h 3m
  5. 7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East

    JAN 29

    7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East

    Welcome to 7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East, a special one-off podcast and church resource brought to you by SAT-7 UK. If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes we can wonder what the point is in praying for people we’ll never meet, or for global situations that feel too big to solve. When we’re overwhelmed by the challenges facing the Middle East, our prayers can seem small and insignificant. Yet when we turn to the Bible, we see that God invites us to pray – not just to change the world, but to change our own hearts in the process. That’s why we’ve come up with 7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East – a brand-new resource for you and your church, as well as this month’s podcast. We hope these seven Bible-based reasons inspire you to pray more regularly, more urgently, and more deeply for our brothers and sisters around the world. Use today’s talk in your church or small group Would your church, prayer meeting or small group enjoy this talk? We have recorded today’s podcast as a video version that can be shown in your own setting, followed by a time of prayer for the Middle East. To access the video and sign up for your church resources, click here.   7 Reasons to Pray for the Middle East Let’s recap the 7 reasons to pray for the Middle East, along with the Bible references used: We want to be more like Jesus. “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” John 17:20-21 Our MENA brothers and sisters are asking us to. “But God has put the body together… its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:24-26: It gives us a more global perspective. “[Stand] firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” 1 Peter 5:8-10 To align our hearts with God’s heart. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 As a biblical response to our worries. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Philippians 4:6 It inspires us to praise God! “Praise him for his acts of power, praise him for his surpassing greatness.” Psalm 150:2 God answers our prayers. “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16   Further prayer resources To keep going in your prayers for the Middle East, visit sat7uk.org/pray where you’ll find links to our latest Prayer Diary, as well as recent episodes of 7 Ways to Pray, our monthly prayer podcast.

    19 min

About

Welcome to The SAT-7 UK Podcast. Conflict. Poverty. Persecution. That’s the story of the Middle East we’ve become accustomed to. But amidst the crises you see and hear on the news, there is another story being told. For over 26 years SAT-7 has shown God’s love across the Middle East and North Africa broadcasting across four television channels and digital media, in Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish - reaching millions of viewers in 25 countries, 365 days a year. Join us at home or on the go, as we take a stand against the negativity and despair that so often surrounds the region. Listen as we unpack the news and issues in our 7-minute podcasts. Subscribe today on your platform of choice and stay even more in touch with the latest news, features and in-conversation interviews by signing up today at sat7uk.org.

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