Mozhda TV, believed to be Afghanistan’s first dedicated Christian television channel, officially launched its satellite broadcasts Saturday, seeking to bring the Gospel to Afghan audiences despite the Taliban’s restrictions on religious freedom.
The launch brought together Afghan Christians, church representatives and international mission partners who celebrated what organizers described as the culmination of decades of prayer and cooperation among Christian ministries.
In a prerecorded message marking the occasion, Shoaib Ebadi, executive director of the Afghanistan Bible Society, highlighted the significance of the new broadcasting initiative.
“This day, for the first time in history, the first Afghan Christian satellite channel will start its broadcasting to Afghanistan and around the world,” Ebadi said.
Shortly after the network began broadcasting, Mozhda TV Executive Director Masoud Ghorbani delivered a sermon based on Mark 6:34, which recounts Jesus showing compassion for people “because they were like sheep without a shepherd.”
Ghorbani drew parallels between the biblical passage and the hardships facing Afghanistan, stressing that millions of Afghans now have an opportunity to encounter the Christian message despite years of suffering and religious restrictions.
“Jesus Christ is the good shepherd of Afghanistan,” he declared, referring to John 10:11.
The network’s leadership also hopes its broadcasts will reach audiences beyond the country’s Christian communities, potentially including members of the Taliban.
“We don’t know who is watching our program for the first time right now, perhaps even the Taliban,” Ghorbani said. “We need to pray for them.”
The initiative comes amid continued restrictions on Christian activity following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021. Christian workers largely departed the country, religious materials were prohibited and destroyed, and periodic internet disruptions have further limited access to outside information.
Speaking previously to Finnish outlet Sansa, Ghorbani explained that satellite broadcasting provides an alternative means of reaching households in a country where authorities maintain tight control over religious expression and communications.
“Almost everyone has a television and a satellite dish at home,” he said. “The Taliban control the country, but they cannot control the satellites.”
Mikael Tunér, a producer involved in the project, underscored the importance of having Afghan Christians present the programs themselves. He told Sansa that underground Christian congregations continue to exist in Afghanistan, with several thousand believers remaining in the country despite Taliban claims that no Christians live there.
Initially offering programs in Dari and Pashto, Mozhda TV intends to broaden its broadcasts to include Hazaragi, Uzbek, Turkmen and Baluchi, allowing viewers from different ethnic and linguistic communities to access Christian content in their native languages.
“Our strategy is to make at least some program in every language, so that every viewer could find something to watch in their own heart language,” Tunér said.
The channel is also placing particular emphasis on reaching Afghan women, many of whom face significant restrictions on education and public participation under Taliban rule. Its planned programming includes health information and educational resources designed to be accessible to women watching from their homes.
“We want to tell them that the Lord loves them and that ‘this is not the end; hold on to hope,’” Ghorbani said.
