Tajikistan (MNN) — Less than one percent of Tajikistan’s population is Christian, and believers are rare in rural districts and villages. Christians can’t gather legally and face persecution if they confess their faith. Women, more so.
SAT-7’s Joe Willey says the need for encouragement has never been higher. A new satellite television program is part of a wider strategy to increase support for Tajik Christians in their lives of faith.
“We want to make sure – especially for these Christian women in Tajikistan – that they know, understand, and are supported with Scripture. They are supported with programming and that they know their value in the eyes of God, and they can be discipled and supported, even though they are few,” Willey explains.
SAT-7’s new program, In the World of Women’s Thoughts, focuses on biblical examples of Christian womanhood. “It is a program that says ‘We’re broadcasting in your language; it’s specific to you,’” Willey says.
“When SAT-7 broadcast in Tajik to Tajik women, it is another endorsement of who they are and who God created them to be.”
Interestingly, because Tajik is closely related to Dari, the program will also benefit isolated Afghan women.
Panayiotis Keenan, SAT-7 PARS Executive Director, recently stated in a press release:
“As a Persian-language channel, we serve a diverse audience across Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Each country has its distinct culture, history, people, and variety of Persian, and it is crucial to us as a ministry to ensure that our viewers can hear about God’s love in their own heart languages.
“We are delighted to have a growing library of Dari programming for our Afghan viewers, in addition to our firmly established programs for Iranian viewers in Farsi. This year, we are thrilled to add the first Tajik program for women to our repertoire. I pray that Tajik women will be empowered to claim their identity in Christ and confidently stand in faith as they face the challenges of life.”
Pray for In the World of Women’s Thoughts to be a great support and encouragement to Christian women in the Persian world. Additionally, pray SAT-7 PARS can find new Christian presenters from Tajikistan and Afghanistan who can appear on TV without any security concerns.
Header image depicts the presenters of In the World of Women’s Thoughts. Photo courtesy of SAT-7 USA.
