OIC Information Ministers Call For Interaction With Foreign Media To Support Islamic Issues

Jeddah (BNA) The 11th session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers, which concluded in Jeddah on Wednesday, called on the OIC Groups of Ambassadors in the foreign countries to pay attention to the media activity and interact with the foreign media to support Islamic causes. The conference was held under the theme of “The Role of New Media in Confronting Terrorism and Islamophobia.” The information ministers also underlined the need for the establishment of closer ties with the civil society institutions in the OIC member states, and coordination with them to serve the issues of the Islamic Ummah in the fields of media and public relations. Addressing the conference, Deputy Information and Culture Minister on Publications, Sayeda Mojgan Mostafavi said that Islamic countries have common culture and religion as well as facing the same challenges and problems, adding today’s Islam is being reflected as the rough religion and usually war related incidents, violence, conflicts and natural disasters in developing countries are the top headlines of the world most developed countries. “The news related to Islamic countries are always being distorted and edited even the exchange of information is not taking place properly. Around 80 percent of the world population produces over 20 percent of the global news,” the deputy minister added, saying world’s top news agencies and media have been distorting the Islamic countries’ news according to their own style. “Today’s war is not a physical war, but it is a media and information war as well. Therefore it is the duty of the Islamic countries to show the real image of Islam to the world,” she added. According to Mostafavi, media and freedom of expression constitute the fundamental values of the democratic nations, the media can play effective role in social, cultural, political and economic developments, whereas Afghanistan is rapidly moving toward informational society. “Afghanistan has witnessed the increasing number of TVs, Radios, publications and the new media “Online” activities in the past one decade that have eased development process from a tribal society to modern one,” she noted, saying Afghanistan has never before had more news outlets, with 2000 print media, television stations, radio stations and at least news agencies that obviously shows the country’s 15 years achievement. Mostafavi went on saying that Afghanistan needs the support of all OIC member states specially those who have experience at the field of Media and information to assist the country to continue its way toward development and making Modern Islamic society.