Muhammad Maroof Al-Shibani
Al Bilad
The falling of a crane that happened a few weeks ago at the Grand Mosque and the stampede in Mina both elicited dangerous reactions. Perhaps the most significant was that of Iran and its allies. Iran launched a political attack against the Kingdom in the media; a number of other countries known for blackmailing the Kingdom also launched similar attacks but with less intensity.
It is highly likely that accidents will take place during the Haj season. The last thing the Kingdom needs is for its enemies to cast doubts upon its dedication to serving pilgrims. Such dedication should not be put in doubt. We need a strong and full-fledged media campaign to respond to our enemies’ attacks.
In fact, we are in dire need of a strong media channel that focuses only on the news of the Grand Mosque and the Prophet’s Mosque. Its mission should be to shed light on the efforts exerted throughout the year to improve services at the holy places and to respond to news reports blown out of proportion by our enemies.
There is a question whether such a channel should be part of the Ministry of Culture and Information, the Ministry of Haj, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Interior or whether it should be independent.
The channel should not be set up to produce Haj programs and distribute them, its work is deeper than that. We are talking about elaborate strategies and plans at the global level because our state sovereignty is at stake.
