Lebanon 'at a turning point'

Christians must continue to pray for Lebanon, Syria and the entire Middle East region, says the executive director of SAT-7 in Lebanon.

Naji Daoud made the appeal after a car bomb last week killed the head of the Lebanese intelligence agency, Wessam al-Hassan, and several others in the largely Christian neighbourhood of Ashrafiye in Beirut.

Although no one from the satellite channel was harmed in the explosion, Daoud said these were "difficult days" for Lebanon as he asked for prayer that the satellite channel would be able to continue filming and broadcasting safely and without interruption.

As al-Hassan was a known opponent of the Assad regime, there is some speculation that the bombing is connected to the ongoing violence in Syria, which continues to spill into Lebanon.

His death triggered violent demonstrations in Beirut and there have been calls for the Lebanese Prime Minister to step down.

Naji Daoud, Executive Director of SAT-7 in Lebanon, called upon Christians in the region to "live faithfully".

He said: "The Lebanese find themselves at a turning point. We must keep praying for Lebanon, Syria and the whole Middle East."

Daoud said it was time for the SAT-7 team in Lebanon to "stand stronger" and "remember our role as advocates of reconciliation, peace, unity and hope".

SAT-7 chief executive Dr Terence Ascott also called for prayer.

"We should pray for the peace of Lebanon, that it will not become the victim of a proxy war between the different political and religious rivals in the region - such as the Gulf Arabs and Iran, and the Sunni and Shia worlds, to name but two," he said.