MWL Gathers Global News Agencies To Express Solidarity With Palestinian Issue
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The Muslim World League (MWL) hosted an international forum, uniting the Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA), consisting of 57 countries, and major global news agencies from Asia, Europe, and the Americas to express solidarity with the Palestinian issue and combat discourses of hatred and violence in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Sunday.
The forum, titled "The Role of Media in Inciting Hatred and Violence" was held under the auspices of MWL secretary-general and the chairman of the Organisation of Muslim Scholars, Sheikh Dr Mohammed bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa, and with the participation of General Supervisor of Official Media in the State of Palestine, Minister Ahmed Assaf.
In his opening address, Dr Mohammed highlighted the global significance of addressing hatred and violence, emphasising the persisting gap between legislation and its implementation. He warned against the resulting intellectual decay, leading to chaos and setbacks for civilised societies.
The forum, a collaboration between UNA and MWL Assistant Secretariate for Corporate Communication, stressed the media's pivotal role in countering hate speech and incitement, particularly concerning discrimination and exclusion leading to conflict and violence.
Dr Mohammed condemned the criminal assault on innocent lives in Gaza, asserting that countering hate speech is crucial for global peace and security. He acknowledged the Palestinian issue as a just international concern governed by pending resolutions.
“In addition to being an Arab and Islamic issue for us, the Palestinian issue has become a just international issue governed by pending international resolutions. These resolutions were violated, causing bloodshed and painful repercussions,” he was reported as saying by UNA.
Expressing deep appreciation for efforts supporting the Palestinian cause, Dr Mohammed thanked the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its historic summits.
Meanwhile, Minister Ahmed Assaf, pointed out that the forum is being held “at this critical time when our people in Palestine, especially in Gaza, are going through this massacre and atrocities”.
He emphasised that since the beginning of this aggression against the Palestinian people and their land, there has been an attempt to erase the Palestinian narrative.
“The Palestinian narrative suffered from bias and distortion by major media outlets worldwide that did not want to see the truth, seeking to obscure, erase, and eliminate it,” added Ahmed.
Daud Aweis, Minister of Information, Culture, and Tourism in the Federal Republic of Somalia, revealed the bias of international media outlets in current events in Palestinian territories , emphasising the need for Islamic countries to strengthen their media institutions.
The acting director-general of UNA, Mohammed Abd Rabbo Al-Yami, underscored the media's central role in shaping public opinion.
On the sidelines, a memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Assistant Secretariate for Corporate Communication of the MWL and the UNA, solidifying their commitment to addressing critical issues.
-- BERNAMA
