Nearly half of the 20 countries where Christians face the world’s most extreme persecution are within SAT-7’s ministry region across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
Among these are Yemen (ranked third), Sudan (fourth), Syria (sixth), Libya (ninth) and Iran (tenth). All nations in which, according to the Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026, following Jesus carries the greatest cost: churches attacked, families threatened, believers killed.
This violence is not simply assaults on individuals or property. It is an attack on the rights of people to live out their faith without fear.
While the circumstances differ from country to country, the aim of this violence is often the same: to isolate, to intimidate and to silence.
Forced to Flee
“I am a Syrian mother,” says Donna. “I fled after the bombing of Mar Elias Church in Syria. I am now in Iraq, and life is very difficult for me. It feels like everything is against me.”
Latif, also from Syria, told us: “If only you knew the psychological condition we are living in after being displaced from our homes and losing our livelihoods.”
Donna and Latif’s experiences highlight the wider impact of attacks on churches or other religious buildings. Such incidents affect the lives of individuals and whole communities, often forcing people from the places where they once lived and worshipped. They have to leave behind homes and jobs and struggle to build a new life elsewhere.
Fear at Home
For some believers, the threat is not external – it is within the walls of their own home.
Meersa from Afghanistan reached out to SAT-7 in great need of support. “I desperately need your prayers,” she said. “I have been a believer since I was much younger, and my husband knows about my faith and keeps threatening to hand me over to the Taliban. I am alone and have no one but my Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.”
From Libya, Afaf told us: “Every night, I wait until my family sleeps so I can open my phone and read my Bible. My brothers are very extremist and fanatical. They beat me because of my faith in Christ. I live with extreme fear and panic.”
Believers like Meersa and Afaf are isolated in their faith and do not feel safe even at home. But they can reach out to SAT-7 for prayer and support. Afaf said she felt “peace and comfort” after speaking to SAT-7’s Viewer Support Team, who encouraged her with the story of Job.
When Hope Seems Lost
Today, we remember those who have lost loved ones, homes, and security because of their faith. We pray for those who continue to live under threat, whether in Syria, Afghanistan, Libya or elsewhere across the region.
Through satellite television, digital platforms, and our dedicated Viewer Support Teams, SAT-7 continues to stand alongside people living through these realities.
Sometimes that means listening. Sometimes it means praying. Sometimes it means answering questions about faith that people have carried for years.
Where fear seeks to silence, God’s Word continues to be shared.
Where communities are scattered, believers continue to find fellowship.
And when all hope seems lost, Christ continues to strengthen His people and remind them that they are never alone.
Please Pray
- That believers living under the threat of violence will know Christ’s peace, protection, and presence.
- That families displaced by persecution find the comfort, hope, and support they need.
- That SAT-7’s Viewer Support Teams are guided as they listen, pray, and walk alongside those living through violence and persecution.
