BOONE, IOWA — The director of a Christian media ministry based in the Middle East is speaking up for “secret” believers in Iran and Afghanistan who are turning to the latest technology to beat isolation and loneliness.

PARS (www.sat7usa.org), a media ministry that uses satellite television, live streaming, and social media platforms to broadcast faith-based and educational programs in Farsi and Dari across Iran, Afghanistan, and the Persian-speaking world.

Keenan, who lives in Cyprus, is available for media interviews at the NRB Convention in Grapevine, Texas, Feb. 24-27.

“Thousands of isolated Christians across Iran and Afghanistan dare not meet openly with other believers or reveal their faith publicly,” Keenan said. “To do so could mean imprisonment, torture, and death.”

SAT-7 PARS — the Persian-language channel of SAT-7 — reaches isolated believers in their homes, on their phones and digital devices. Its free-of-charge satellite broadcasts are virtually uncensorable. Iranians and Afghans stream programs in real-time, and are able to connect with local program presenters on social media and live chat.

Living under an iron-fist regime, growing numbers of Iran’s youth are exploring Christianity on their devices, and having conversations online about Jesus and the Bible, Keenan said.

Meanwhile, Afghan Christians risk everything, including their lives, to meet together virtually on their phones for online church — right under the noses of the Taliban regime.

“The young people are desperate for change, and they’re more open to the Christian faith than ever before,” said Keenan, an expert on the current situation in Iran and Afghanistan, and the most effective ways to communicate the Christian message in an environment that’s extremely hostile toward Christians.

2-Minute Video: Watch how SAT-7 PARS changed one Iranian girl’s life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEUXtZkR6j8

Watch more quick-fire video testimonies from Iran:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qr_dZ23y46g

MEDIA: To arrange your interview with Panayiotis Keenan, contact: DeWayne Hamby at (423) 505-0041 (text or phone) dhamby@inchristcommunications.com

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