Militants attacking ships along vital trade routes ‘need the Gospel, too’ says Middle East broadcaster SAT-7 USA
BOONE, IA. — A U.S. faith-based media organization is supporting isolated Christians in Yemen, as the nation’s Houthi rebels continue to launch attacks in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
On March 6, three people were killed when a Houthi missile struck a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, a vital passageway to the Red Sea and the Suez Canal.
Broadcaster SAT-7 (www.sat7usa.org) is one of very few Christian broadcasters active in Yemen, a nation in turmoil after nearly a decade of civil war.
‘Houthis Need the Gospel’
“Our goal is to make God’s love visible to the entire region, and that includes the Houthis,” said Rex Rogers, the organization’s U.S.-based president. “The Houthis need the Gospel, too.”
From its Middle East studios, the network’s satellite television and online streaming services broadcast Christian-based programs 24/7 in Arabic across the region and into Houthi-controlled territory.
SAT-7’s mostly live programs are hosted by native-speaking Christian presenters and are free to watch.
“One of our programs explores the surprising ancient Christian heritage of Yemen, dating back more than a thousand years with connections to the early church in Ethiopia,” Rogers said. “We aim to encourage and support isolated Yemeni believers and help them dialog with their non-Christian neighbors about faith.”
It’s estimated there are 40,000 Christians in Yemen, many living in fear of being discovered. Christians there suffer discrimination, beatings, rape, and even execution.
Persecution ‘Worse Than Iran, Nigeria’
Open Doors, a group that monitors hostility against Christians around the world, ranks Yemen fifth on its 2024 persecution watch list of nations, ahead of Iran, Afghanistan and Nigeria.
The ongoing civil war between the Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed forces has plunged Yemen into a humanitarian crisis, with millions facing acute food shortages.
But SAT-7’s Rogers says he sees hopeful signs as viewers in Yemen show interest in “the radical Christian message of love and forgiveness — even for their enemies. The Gospel is the most powerful, transformative message in the world, and God promised his Word would accomplish its purpose.”
Many viewers contact the broadcaster’s support team via social media apps to pray with them; others request Bibles.
“Wherever there are people made in God’s image, even in desperate Yemen, there is the Spirit of God giving people hope,” Rogers said.
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Launched in 1996, SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org) — with its international headquarters in Cyprus — broadcasts Christian and educational satellite television and online programs in the Middle East and North Africa. Its mission is to make the gospel available to everyone, and support the church in its life, work and witness for Jesus Christ. SAT-7 broadcasts 24/7 in Arabic, Farsi (Persian), Dari, and Turkish, using multiple satellite channels and online services.
PHOTO CUTLINE: YEMEN’S HOUTHI REBELS ‘NEED THE GOSPEL’: Faith-based media organization SAT-7 USA (www.sat7usa.org) is supporting isolated Christians in war-torn Yemen. As the nation’s Houthi rebels continue to attack vital shipping lanes, they “need the Gospel, too,” the broadcaster says.
