Arabic television show on women's issues wraps up tapings

Amir Ghali, right, executive producer for the Umm Salaam series, helps adjust a camera for a taping in July. [photos courtesy MEU]

A Seventh-day Adventist television series produced in Arabic and addressing women's issues recently completed the recording of 54 half-hour shows in Beirut, Lebanon.

The show, Maa Umm Salaam (With the Mother of Peace), was taped at the newly renovated, Adventist-owned Al Waad Media Centre (WMC) in Beirut, Lebanon.

"Having completed the inaugural series in our brand new studio, our team feels a great sense of accomplishment," said Amir Ghali, WMC director and executive producer for the Umm Salaam series.

Kalthoum Qewar, a Jordanian, was the main speaker for the series taped July 14 to 30. Crews worked through the eight to 10 power outages a day, which is common in Lebanon.

Jordanian speaker Kalthoum Qewar on the television set during a July taping of Maa Umm Salaam (With the Mother of Peace).

Kalthoum and her husband, David, were involved in various ministries and church planting initiatives. David lost his battle with cancer in 2003, but Kalthoum has maintained her calling to ministry and continues to preach and teach to Christian and Muslim groups around the world.

Kalthoum said she hopes to empower the women of the Middle East so they can be confident in their spiritual walk and be positive examples in their homes and in their communities.

"I want women to feel valued in Jesus," she said.

The Al Waad (The Promise) Media Centre was established in January 2008 and is located on the campus of the Middle East University, an Adventist institution in Beirut.

The studio underwent $70,000 of renovations in the former Student's Centre. Church leaders say they are now realizing their goal of providing culturally relevant Arabic programming for a new channel to reach the 330 million Arabic speakers around the world. The channel will be part of the Hope TV Network, the official satellite television ministry of the Adventist Church. Hope Channel currently broadcasts globally across seven channels and numerous languages.

"The purpose of our programming is to encourage greater understanding and dialogue between Adventist Christians and other faith groups in the region, both Muslim and other Christian denominations," said Ghali. "We wish to encourage each viewer to be a true follower of God and live a life of submission to Him."