Iran
(MNN) — Iran
remains defiant over its nuclear program in the face of United Nations
sanctions.
Besides a wider arms embargo and new economic penalties,
diplomats are considering new, tougher measures that could include a mandatory
travel ban against individuals on the U.N. list and an expansion of the list to
make more individuals and companies subject to sanctions.
Meanwhile, seven
Muslim nations are trying to resolve tensions in the Middle East, including Iran and Iraq. SAT-7's David Harder. "There's already been several wars in
recent years and people are very concerned about the possibility of another
one, and people are concerned in Iran about economic sanctions. The
economy is very poor. There's a great
deal of depression and hopelessness." While not political, SAT-7 PARS
"…addresses how to deal with difficulty; how to deal with challenges,
hurts. We have many programs that touch
in on those and look at what the Bible has to say."
SAT-7 Pars is a semi-autonomous unit of SAT-7, providing quality
Christian TV programming for Persian satellite viewers in Iran, Afghanistan and adjacent countries.
The new channel, SAT-7 Pars
offer Farsi Christian programming daily and another four hours a day in
Turkish.
"I'm
so excited because we are working closely with local Iranian churches
and", says the channel's executive director, "members of those
churches will be able to turn on SAT-7
Pars at anytime of the day and watch programs for youth, children, women
and every member of the family."
Acknowledging
the challenge an average Iranian believer has living and practicing their faith
in this hard-line Islamic country, Harder says they are trying to help. Many of these believers have
very little teaching. "Be praying that they would be encouraged and built
up in their faith and that they would know more about the Bible and how to show
others why they have hope in Christ."
One SAT-7 Pars Board member reported that,
"Churches in Iran
and neighboring countries are experiencing tremendous growth", adding,
"In spite of an official ban on
dish ownership, the government estimates that millions of households own and
regularly use satellite television equipment. SAT-7 Pars will continue what it
started in the name of ICB, to provide a contextual witness to Christ for
viewers of all ages and backgrounds, as well as authoritative teaching on the
application of Christian doctrine."
