A new comedy programme is being launched by the Christian satellite television ministry SAT-7 to "lift" the spirits of people in the Middle East and North Africa.

The purpose of the new sitcom, titled "Mayli Min Kil Aileh", is to help the television audience reflect on important issues as they laugh about them, says programme director Rita El Mounayer.

The meaning behind the name of the show is that every situation can be looked at in a few ways. The series features an ordinary family dealing with ordinary issues like lying, smoking, and anxiety.

El Mounayer hopes that by attracting a group of regular viewers, the programme will help build bridges between different religions.

The way to do this, she says, is "by explaining the Christian faith 'with gentleness and respect' to a wider general audience that has few other sources for accurate information about Christ and His followers."

Experts say Christians in the Middle East are often targeted because they are seen as belonging to a Western religious tradition, which is seen as an immoral tradition. Middle Eastern Muslims, for example, do not only consider the attitude of the Western church but of the entire Western society as representing the Christian faith.

SAT-7's new programme hopes to reveal a clearer picture of Christianity to non-Christians while encouraging those who are already believers.

Even if the show deals with sad issues, El Mounaver says the viewers' spirits will be lifted.

"The main purpose of the show is to make you reflect on important issues as you laugh about them! It is not a heavy drama, and the story, even when dealing with sad issues, will lift your spirit," she says.