“I want to know more about Jesus, but my Christian friends are afraid to tell me.”
Amr*, Voice of Egypt listener, speaking to the follow-up team
What we’re doing in Egypt
Egypt is the most populous country and has the largest Muslim population in the Arab world; an estimated 85-90% of the population is Sunni Muslim. Islam is the state religion and controls many aspects of social life.
Voice of Egypt (VoE) is an internet radio project, with programming available online or through an app. Their primary audience is Arabic (Muslim) youth, aged between 18 to 45 and the team’s programmes share Kingdom values. Their goal is to see a positive change in the life of the listener: personally, socially, and spiritually.
VoE’s young vibrant team is mostly comprised of volunteers. The programme content includes current affairs, music, quizzes, sports and the team even host an online talent show! They also cover relevant topics like mental health and relationships from a biblical perspective.
Alongside this they encourage listeners to connect with VoE team members on Facebook. Once an initial relationship has been built up through messaging, the listener is invited to continue discussion on a private page where there are more opportunities to talk about faith and the gospel.
Kontar’s story
The Voice of Egypt team share special programmes during Islamic festivals to engage with their Muslim audience and share the gospel. During Eid al-Fitr (a religious celebration marking the end of the month-long fast of Ramadan), a listener named Kontar* called in and shared that he was spending the holiday alone, but the broadcast made him feel like he was celebrating with his ‘radio family’. Praise God for the way he is using the team to ‘put the lonely in families’ (Psalm 68:6) and sharing His love with listeners.
*Name changed for security reasons
What we’re doing in Iraq
Iraq FM reaches out to a predominantly Muslim audience through its radio station in Baghdad. Their broadcasts share the message of God’s salvation, joy and peace. This includes programmes like One Hundred and Eighty Degrees, which features believers’ testimonies and has led to many listeners calling in to ask questions about Jesus.
The team also does follow-up work, speaking with listeners on the phone and meeting with them in person to answer questions and share the gospel. They work closely with local churches to produce programmes and integrate new believers into Christian communities.
“Jesus Christ is the source of peace and goodness. Today, thanks to Christ, I am a better person.”
Sami*, Iraq FM listener
Sami’s story
Sami, who lives in Basra, is blind. He began listening to Iraq FM’s programmes after a friend recommended them. Inspired by the Bible stories he heard, Sami requested his own copy of the Bible from the team and began attending a local church. He shared the impact the broadcasts had had on his life: “Your radio contributes to a true transformation of people from evil to good, because Jesus Christ is the source of peace and goodness. Today, thanks to Christ, I am a better person.”
*Name changed for security reasons
What we’re doing in Yemen
The ongoing humanitarian crisis and civil war in Yemen has devastated the economy, leading to food insecurity, poverty and trauma for many Yemeni citizens. With the extremist Islamist Houthi group increasing in power, religious freedom is non existent, and persecution of Christians is severe.
Reaching into this war-torn nation, The Yemen Project broadcasts to around 30 million Yemeni Arabic speakers. Providing resources to the young Yemeni church, they also target spiritual seekers and marginalised groups with the hope of the gospel.
Nabil’s story
One of these seekers is Nabil*, a listener is in his late twenties, who began following The Yemen Project’s social media pages when he saw their content about hope and inner peace. Getting in touch with the team, he explained “I really like what you share, I feel that there’s something different about it, something genuine.”
Nabil* regularly listens to the content The Yemen Project posts and shares his questions with them. The team are praying that the Lord would lead him to Jesus as his Saviour.
*Name changed for security reasons
