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By Fatima Muhammad
Jeddah -- Ministers of Information and Communication of member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) highlighted the the growing trend of Islamophobia, particularly in countries with Muslim minorities, and the need to counter this phenomenon and increase cooperation among OIC member states to combat it and highlight its threats.
A declaration issued at the conclusion of the ministers' meeting here on Wednesday stressed that terrorism has no religion and is not exclusively associated with a specific nationality or place, and that it represents only the perpetrator.
It condemned all manifestations of violence, extremism, fanaticism and terrorism which distort the noble messages of human cultures.
The Jeddah Declaration called for the media in Member States to serve truth and convey the concerns of citizens of Member States and to demonstrate the greatest degree of professionalism and objectivity in reporting facts and addressing political, economic, social and cultural issues.
It denounced the criminal act by the Houthi militias and those behind them of launching a ballistic missile towards Makkah Al-Mukarramah, the place of revelation and prayer direction for Muslims.
The declaration also commended the special role of the media in Islamic countries in exposing the brutal Israeli aggression on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and urged it to continue to highlight the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people and defend them until the establishment of their independent State with Al-Quds as its capital.
The Director of the Information Department at the OIC General Secretariat, Maha Akeel, said that the 11th Islamic Conference of Information Ministers hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was held under the theme ‘New media to counter terrorism and Islamophobia’ given the important role of media, particularly new media which can play a major role in combating international terrorism and highlighting the true image of Islam.
The conference also addressed several issues notably the role of the media in OIC Member States in supporting the cause of Al-Quds and the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The agenda of the conference included the adoption of a media strategy and its implementation mechanisms to confront Islamophobia, adoption of the OIC-2025 comprehensive media strategy, women empowerment in and through the media, as well as internal and external media action in partnership with OIC Member States and international media institutions.
The conference deliberated on ways to strengthen the OIC’s media visibility in championing cultural exchange, development and peace and boosting the capacity and productivity of, and cooperation among, journalists and media institutions in the Member States.
