“In life it’s said that behind every door there is new hope and a new opportunity to love, find joy, and live life with all its ups and downs. But what happens when the door opens into a prison cell? What becomes of life then? And who do you turn into?”
Six months have passed since the tragic death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, at the hands of the Iranian authorities. Against a backdrop of government oppression and police brutality, passionate protesters in the country continue to call for freedom. As Iranian women and girls seek a brighter future, SAT-7 has been amplifying their stories and prayers to the nation.
A new SAT-7 TV series is part of a major five-year project that aims to help women and girls in the Arab world enjoy the freedom and dignity they deserve as people made equally with men by God.
“In our community, we agreed that our daughter will marry our neighbour once she’s mature. But when I saw the early marriage clip, and I remembered what happened to me, I gained a little bit of strength to fight for my daughter and stop what happened to me happening to her.”
SAT-7’s Executive Director of Europe, Asia and Pacific, Kurt Johansen, visited Cairo from 11-16 January 2023 to meet with SAT-7 staff in Egypt, to consolidate existing networks, and to build relationships with new contacts.
“Since the Taliban takeover, girls in my homeland have been deprived of the most basic freedoms such as education and sport,” shares Mariam*, a SAT-7 PARS viewer from Afghanistan. The challenges of women in Iran and Afghanistan have increased dramatically in the past year, and SAT-7 PARS continues to support and empower them in their desire for change and freedom.
As intense protests continue in Iran, SAT-7 PARS’ Viewer Support team have been witnessing a growing unity among Iranian and Afghan viewers through their prayers of intercession for one another. Persian-speaking viewers are calling on the Lord for freedom, peace, and safety for people across the region.
The death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s “morality police” has sparked that nation’s most serious unrest since 2009. Mahsa, an Iranian Kurd on a visit to family in Tehran, was detained for allegedly wearing the hijab incorrectly and days later, on 16 September, died after being hospitalised in a coma.
