Mass Media Plays Crucial Role In Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Awareness

KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 (Bernama) -- The mass media plays a crucial role in ensuring that the struggle for Palestinian independence continues, by presenting the issue to the world as a human right issue that needs to be defended clearly and vigorously. Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)’s Faculty of Communications’ senior lecturer Dr Syed Agil Syed Alsagoff said media platforms which include social sites such as Facebook need to be utilised to tell the world that the Israeli regime's actions against the Palestinians were wrong and against humanity. “Currently there are about two million Facebook users worldwide, who use social media channels as a source of information. So, what’s wrong with working together, not only in this country but also with foreign countries in supporting Palestinian cause, by showing the pictures of Zionist atrocities against Palestinian people as it will have an impact among the world population. “We have the Islamic TV Satellite established by the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), hence we should utilise the medium,” he said during a dialogue on Al-Quds themed "The rise of the Ummah to liberate Al-Quds in the context of Muslim responsibility and history” broadcast live tonight on non-governmental organisation Sekretariat Palestin Malaysia (SPM) Facebook account. He said information from the media as reported now needs to be filtered so as to tell the real situation in Palestine. The west, he said, should not be allowed to monopolise technology as it has huge impact on the mind of younger generation as they were not given enough exposure to fully understand the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Meanwhile, lecturer in the Islamic History and Civilisation Department, Academy of Islamic Studies, Universiti Malaya, Associate Prof Dr Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor said awareness among the public to stop supporting any Israeli products also showed the level of support for the Palestinian struggle. “If we continue to buy their goods, we will contribute to the Israeli economy and through that they will continue to build housing for Israeli people and their representatives,” he said. --BERNAMA