One voice reaching thousands of people
How a small radio station strengthens the church in the whole of Iraq
The church of Iraq has a voice, and it is broadcast from Qaraqosh. Radio station ‘Saut al Salam’(‘Voice of Peace’) reaches up to 150,000 people all over Iraq and the Middle East. Their programs draw Christians closer to Christ and church life. The station also focuses on correcting misconceptions about Christians with other Iraqis.
Those who don’t know it’s there might not notice it because it’s a small business, they only employ ten people who work with full dedication every day. The station started in 2003 and has been broadcasting ever since. This small but mighty team reaches thousands of people every day.
The office itself contains a sound engineering desk and, of course, a spacious studio with a table and several microphones. Yet tens of thousands of people, from taxi drivers to students, from stay-at-home moms to cleaners, all tune in to hear or watch their favourite show. Saeb proudly adds, “Recently, we also started broadcasting video through Facebook.”
The concept of the programs is simple: no politics or conflicts. The stories are about the church, Christianity, and Christian life. For instance, there is a program on raising children, there is a program with Christian music, and there are reports about cultural events in the church.
A message about Christ and the church
One of the reporters of the radio station is Silva from Shekhan, a town north of Mosul. Until recently Silva was only writing for the church website. However recently she participated in a training organized by Open Doors through a local partner and now she makes reports for the radio show.
“In the training, we learned about the relationship between the media and the church, we also learned a lot of practical skills. I didn’t have any education in media, so this was very helpful for me.”
Silva, who had to flee Baghdad in 2007 because of persecution, loves her work at the station: “I use my talent to deliver a message.” She says: “The message of Christ; that is first. Secondly, I enjoy showing the world my church in the Shekhan area. We are not a big church, but we are special in our own way and it’s nice to be able to show our distinctive activities. To show the love that is in the church as well.”
Calmness and peace
The radio station doesn’t only strengthen the church on the inside, it also strengthens the position of the church in the country, says Saeb. “The programs provide a type of calmness that Iraqis crave for: it is something else than the constant news about war and political debate,” he explains. “That’s why our listeners are not just Christians. In fact, the large majority are non-Christians. Our frequency reaches Erbil and Mosul but, through the internet, we reach a big audience in the south of the country and even in countries such as Saudi Arabia.”
The station is loved by Muslims as well. One day someone posted a negative comment on the station’s Facebook page. “It was our Muslim listeners who responded to this post, defending the station. They said that we preached peace, and there was no reason to report negatively about us.”
Creating peace and understanding
Saeb agrees with his Muslim listeners. “I believe we create love and peace between people,” he says. “Through our programs, we show our neighbours a true image of who we are. Many Muslims and other non-Christians have misconceptions about Christians. Misconceptions that have been passed on from generation to generation. For instance, they think Christians just like to party and drink alcohol, something they despise.”
In a country torn by war, sectarian strife, and persecution, correcting that image is key in a journey towards peace. “In our programs, we show who we really are. We show the love that we have and we fight against the hate.” And it works: “We get a lot of calls from listeners. Many of them tell us that their view on Christians changed.”
For director Saeb, this radio station is a very important place. When the Islamic extremists of ISIS took over Qaraqosh in 2014 he thought he lost his beloved studio. So after liberation, the studio was one of the first places he went to check on: “When I came back that first time, we lit a candle in the studio with my prayer and I really felt the hand of God.”
ISIS stole all appliances and left the station in ruins, but the building itself was saved. Through a local partner, Open Doors helped the radio station with furniture and equipment. Would you take a moment and pray for all the people this radio station reaches, and while you are praying use the link bellow to light up the map and help believers in the Middle East know they are being prayed for world wide.
One Million Prayer of Hope
Let us stand with them to make hope last. Use the link bellow and add your light to the map to show where you are praying from.
