Middle East (MNN) — Ramadan is a
time when Muslims seek God and get together with their families. For that reason, television viewing increases during this period.
After long days of work and
fasting, Muslim families get together in the evenings to eat and watch their
favorite shows.
"The month of Ramadan is
the highest television viewing time of the year in the whole Islamic world,"
said David Harder of SAT-7. "For the
Middle Eastern broadcasters, this is the time of year when they have their
newest shows. So we at SAT-7 are also
putting on new shows and programs we want people to watch as they're flipping
through the channels."
Along with its other programming,
SAT-7 is showing two films during the month of Ramadan: "Crossed Over" and "Jesus through the Eyes of
Mary Magdalene."
"Crossed Over" tells
the story of Karla Faye Tucker, a convicted murderer who converted to Christianity
while in prison. "Jesus through the Eyes
of Mary Magdalene" is a version of the JESUS film that tells the story of Christ
from the perspective of Mary Magdalene.
"This is…a film that was designed
just for women," Harder said. "We know
that women throughout the Middle East are often repressed and really looked
down upon. So this is an important film
because it helps them see that Jesus, the Creator, loves them so much; it
helps people to know that God is a loving God for women as well."
SAT-7 has also been running a
live call-in show featuring "very well-spoken and highly astute" pastors who
answer people's questions about Christianity. Harder encouraged Christians to pray for many Muslims who are searching
their souls and seeking God during Ramadan.
"Often ‘jihad' actually means to
really have war with yourself and get the evil stuff out," Harder explained. "So many earnest Muslims will be having that
kind of ‘jihad' against their own sinful nature, and in that process, many of
them are crying out to God."
Every year, Harder hears stories about
how God reveals Himself to these people. Christian converts often report seeing Jesus appear to them in
dreams. Pray that SAT-7's programming will
also play a role in nudging people to search for truth.
Pray also for Christians living
in the Muslim world. Surrounded by people
fasting in the name of Allah, many Christian families reach out to their Muslim
neighbors through hospitality.
"Many Christians, as a sign of
love and friendship, will invite their Muslim neighbors over and have a meal
together," Harder said. "So if you're
out there and you have friends that are Muslims, that's something you could
even do just to show love and friendship because for most Muslims, Ramadan is a time of
family."
