Interview: SAT-7 Founder on the Power of Christian Television in Middle-East
The international CEO/Founder of the first Christian television network for the Middle East, Terry Ascott, spoke on Tuesday about SAT-7’s impact on Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.
The international CEO/Founder of the first Christian television network for the Middle East, Terry Ascott, spoke on Tuesday about SAT-7’s impact on Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
SAT-7 can be seen as a ministry or even a powerful evangelism tool. How is it that Islamic governments allow SAT-7 to remain on air?
Ascott: While Christians are a minority, they are allowed the freedom to worship and the freedom to share their faith in some areas. It is not totally unthinkable for Christians to have satellite TV.
We have programs that never attack other religions and they are not in the position of evangelising Muslims. Instead they are there foremost to support Christians.
There is growing divisions in Sudan between the Islamic government and Christians. Can you explain why this is occurring and what kind of effects this has on Christians?
Ascott: There has been ongoing conflict between the Muslim North and Christian South, but mostly this is an ethnic conflict between a Muslim North and a non-Muslim south. Darfur is more of an African-Arab conflict.
Christians have been suffering terribly from the conflict, including slavery and exile by the thousands into deprived social services. There has also been a lot of misery and forced conversion.
At the same time, the church in Southern Sudan is the fastest growing in Africa. So it’s like when the extremist Islamic groups have done their worst, often the result is growth in the church. .
Reports have indicated that there is an accelerating population decline of Christians in the Middle East. What is your take on this statement?
Ascott: This has been going on for the last century.
Many of the people who leave are doctors, engineers and they leave behind an improvised church which lacks leadership and resources. It is very tragic because the cream of the church is the first to leave – they have the means, they have the connection and all of this does not bode well for the future of Christians in the Middle East.
Do you think that SAT-7 has any role to play with the Christians remaining in the region?
Ascott: Certainly, because we can provide systematic, good, and sound teaching as well as encouraging Christian music. We can provide children programming for Christian families who live in isolated places where there isn’t even a church that they can attend.
For example, there are tens of thousands Coptic Christians working in Saudi Arabia. There are no places of worship in Saudi Arabia today for Christians or any non-Muslims to meet. There are fellowships and meeting at embassy compounds, but there are no places of worship for Christians, certainly not for Coptic Christians because liturgy can only be led by members of the clergy and members of the clergy are not allowed to take off their official garments of ecclesiastical wear so they are not allowed in Saudi Arabia wearing these garments.
So Christians living in places like Saudi Arabia never get to attend communion, Eucharist, or mass and their children don’t get Sunday school teaching and they don’t get Christian books, videos, and material. So SAT-7 provides these children the only source of [Christian] education apart from what their families will teach them.
Certainly, there is no worship service, no encouragement, no solid Christian biblical teaching and no Christian-based movie or inspiration story. Without SAT-7, they would have nothing.
What important role has SAT-7 play in Christian-Muslim relations?
Ascott: While we are in the position as a channel to strengthen and encourage the church, it is obvious that many non-Christians and Muslims are watching the channel. I think the real value of that is – obviously some of them become very sympathetic with the Christian faith – but the majority of them have negative stereotypes dispelled. I mean if you take a typical Muslim, his understanding of Christianity is based on what he learned at school about the crusades or what he saw on television. Let’s say, for example, that he watched Baywatch. [It is] an American show portraying what he believes to be normal Christian or America lifestyle and there is no separation between American and Christian in his mind.
And so portrayals of immorality, portrayals of violence, abuse and problems in society – these all are portrayals of Christianity and he rejects that kind of Christianity, in the same way that we would not in our society call much of what goes on in our society Christian; we call it pagan, heathen, hedonistic, and materialistic.
So SAT-7 has been able to dispel this misunderstanding about Christian and the Christian faith and that in itself has been able to create a much more positive climate for Christians in the Middle East.
They are no longer thought to be dishonest, immoral, worshipping three gods, having a corrupted Bible, etc. We have gotten some of these issues dealt with in the minds of Muslims so it makes the environment less hostile to them and it helps them to work, to witness, and provide a much better climate for Muslim-Christian relations.
Many Muslims in the Middle East hear the Gospel for the first time through SAT-7. In fact, we are going into millions of homes today, we have between five to six million viewers in the Middle East and North Africa and many of the people watching today have never even met a Christian in their life so this is a very unique and wonderful opportunity for them to hear the Christian message for the first time from other Arab Christians. It is not a foreign message. We are not subtitling Benny Hinn. We have Arab Christians speaking to Arab Muslims heart-to-heart and that is very powerful.
Is there anything you would like to add or say to Christians around the world?
Ascott: There are many exciting things that are going on in the Middle East and I think we only hear the bad news in the Middle East.
Also, we need to really pull together our resources. There are 160 different Arabic language television channels, even the American government has supported a channel called Alhura, with the view to win hearts and minds and yet Christians are very slow.
In this country last year, we spent 2.5 billion dollars on Christian television and radio for North America, and in the Middle East we spent about 10 million. It is a joke because in North America it is like a nice additional service for Christians, but in the Middle East it is the only way you are going to have an impact on people; it is the prime resource of information and entertainment in the Middle East. We really need to redeploy some of these resources from North America to the Middle East because this is a unique opportunity and a unique time to make a difference in the Middle East.
[Interview conducted by Michelle Vu, Christian Today Correspondent]
The international CEO/Founder of the first Christian television network for the Middle East, Terry Ascott, spoke on Tuesday about SAT-7’s impact on Christians and Muslims in the Middle East.
The following are excerpts from the interview:
SAT-7 can be seen as a ministry or even a powerful evangelism tool. How is it that Islamic governments allow SAT-7 to remain on air?
Ascott: While Christians are a minority, they are allowed the freedom to worship and the freedom to share their faith in some areas. It is not totally unthinkable for Christians to have satellite TV.
We have programs that never attack other religions and they are not in the position of evangelising Muslims. Instead they are there foremost to support Christians.
There is growing divisions in Sudan between the Islamic government and Christians. Can you explain why this is occurring and what kind of effects this has on Christians?
Ascott: There has been ongoing conflict between the Muslim North and Christian South, but mostly this is an ethnic conflict between a Muslim North and a non-Muslim south. Darfur is more of an African-Arab conflict.
Christians have been suffering terribly from the conflict, including slavery and exile by the thousands into deprived social services. There has also been a lot of misery and forced conversion.
At the same time, the church in Southern Sudan is the fastest growing in Africa. So it’s like when the extremist Islamic groups have done their worst, often the result is growth in the church. .
Reports have indicated that there is an accelerating population decline of Christians in the Middle East. What is your take on this statement?
Ascott: This has been going on for the last century.
Many of the people who leave are doctors, engineers and they leave behind an improvised church which lacks leadership and resources. It is very tragic because the cream of the church is the first to leave – they have the means, they have the connection and all of this does not bode well for the future of Christians in the Middle East.
Do you think that SAT-7 has any role to play with the Christians remaining in the region?
Ascott: Certainly, because we can provide systematic, good, and sound teaching as well as encouraging Christian music. We can provide children programming for Christian families who live in isolated places where there isn’t even a church that they can attend.
For example, there are tens of thousands Coptic Christians working in Saudi Arabia. There are no places of worship in Saudi Arabia today for Christians or any non-Muslims to meet. There are fellowships and meeting at embassy compounds, but there are no places of worship for Christians, certainly not for Coptic Christians because liturgy can only be led by members of the clergy and members of the clergy are not allowed to take off their official garments of ecclesiastical wear so they are not allowed in Saudi Arabia wearing these garments.
So Christians living in places like Saudi Arabia never get to attend communion, Eucharist, or mass and their children don’t get Sunday school teaching and they don’t get Christian books, videos, and material. So SAT-7 provides these children the only source of [Christian] education apart from what their families will teach them.
Certainly, there is no worship service, no encouragement, no solid Christian biblical teaching and no Christian-based movie or inspiration story. Without SAT-7, they would have nothing.
What important role has SAT-7 play in Christian-Muslim relations?
Ascott: While we are in the position as a channel to strengthen and encourage the church, it is obvious that many non-Christians and Muslims are watching the channel. I think the real value of that is – obviously some of them become very sympathetic with the Christian faith – but the majority of them have negative stereotypes dispelled. I mean if you take a typical Muslim, his understanding of Christianity is based on what he learned at school about the crusades or what he saw on television. Let’s say, for example, that he watched Baywatch. [It is] an American show portraying what he believes to be normal Christian or America lifestyle and there is no separation between American and Christian in his mind.
And so portrayals of immorality, portrayals of violence, abuse and problems in society – these all are portrayals of Christianity and he rejects that kind of Christianity, in the same way that we would not in our society call much of what goes on in our society Christian; we call it pagan, heathen, hedonistic, and materialistic.
So SAT-7 has been able to dispel this misunderstanding about Christian and the Christian faith and that in itself has been able to create a much more positive climate for Christians in the Middle East.
They are no longer thought to be dishonest, immoral, worshipping three gods, having a corrupted Bible, etc. We have gotten some of these issues dealt with in the minds of Muslims so it makes the environment less hostile to them and it helps them to work, to witness, and provide a much better climate for Muslim-Christian relations.
Many Muslims in the Middle East hear the Gospel for the first time through SAT-7. In fact, we are going into millions of homes today, we have between five to six million viewers in the Middle East and North Africa and many of the people watching today have never even met a Christian in their life so this is a very unique and wonderful opportunity for them to hear the Christian message for the first time from other Arab Christians. It is not a foreign message. We are not subtitling Benny Hinn. We have Arab Christians speaking to Arab Muslims heart-to-heart and that is very powerful.
Is there anything you would like to add or say to Christians around the world?
Ascott: There are many exciting things that are going on in the Middle East and I think we only hear the bad news in the Middle East.
Also, we need to really pull together our resources. There are 160 different Arabic language television channels, even the American government has supported a channel called Alhura, with the view to win hearts and minds and yet Christians are very slow.
In this country last year, we spent 2.5 billion dollars on Christian television and radio for North America, and in the Middle East we spent about 10 million. It is a joke because in North America it is like a nice additional service for Christians, but in the Middle East it is the only way you are going to have an impact on people; it is the prime resource of information and entertainment in the Middle East. We really need to redeploy some of these resources from North America to the Middle East because this is a unique opportunity and a unique time to make a difference in the Middle East.
[Interview conducted by Michelle Vu, Christian Today Correspondent]
posted by VIVA at 2:33 AM
1 Comments:
Hey Viva :)
How's life? ;)
There is no separation between American and Christian in their minds????
Come on. they should know that Christianity is a "free" religion.
No one is gonna kill anyone for leaving christianity.
Christianity is not some kind of an army type religion like Islam is.
/BZ
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