Across six events, SAT-7 brought fun and hope to children displaced by war and gave young voices a...
It is not every day that you get to experience a breathtaking musical performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Jordanian site associated with the martyrdom of John the Baptist.
For Rami Al-Halaseh, SAT-7 Arabic Channels Executive Director, it was an invitation that couldn’t be turned down from Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
The open-air concert blending Western and Eastern music was held at Mukawir on September 12 under the theme “Echoes of Faith, Voices of Heritage.”
“It was massive; it was majestic; it was amazing,” Rami said. “The night itself was beautiful not just from a musical point of view, but also from a spiritual point of view – declaring Jesus as ‘King of Kings’ and ‘Lord of Lords’ in that historical place.”
The concert was organized by Friends of Jordan Festivals and supported by the European Union. SAT-7 ARABIC’s live talk show Good Morning From Beirut featured a report from the venue.
The event was the launch of Jordan’s plans to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary in 2030 of Jesus’ baptism and the martyrdom of John the Baptist. Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the traditional location of the baptism, is an UNESCO-recognized site.
Dr. Emad Hijazeen, Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, said, “Jordan has long been, and will always remain, a safe haven and a beacon of peace and stability Home to some of the world’s most significant Christian pilgrimage and heritage sites, the Kingdom continues to preserve and protect humanity’s shared religious and cultural heritage.”
The proposal to mark the two-millennia anniversary was put forward by the Council of Church Leaders in Jordan and quickly received the backing of the country’s government and King Abdullah II, a long-standing supporter of the region’s Christian heritage and present-day communities.
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on September 22, the King said Jordan was “striving to build a different model” from some of its neighboring countries, adding, “We are protecting Christianity – its communities and heritage – in its native and historic land.”
Rami Al-Halaseh, SAT-7 Arabic Channels Executive Director, meeting Dr. Emad Hijazeen, Jordan’s Minister of Tourism and Antiquities
SAT-7 is strengthening its connections in Jordan, holding meetings with government ministers, officials, and church leaders, and has been welcomed to join the efforts for the 2030 commemorations as a key Christian media outlet in the region.
The anniversary is expected to attract global attention and an in-pouring of visitors from around the world. Among the development plans is the construction of an authentic first-century Palestinian-style village near the baptism site.
“As an inter-denominational Christian broadcaster covering the whole of the Middle East and North Africa – and available globally through digital media – SAT-7 is well-placed to highlight Jordan’s plans for this important anniversary,” Rami said. “And it is part of our mission to tell the story of the Church in these lands, to show how Christianity originated here and how the ongoing presence of believers is vital for its future.”
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