RIYADH: A plan to map out and implement a media strategy to fight terrorism was given the green light by a high-profile conference of the information ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Jeddah on Wednesday.
The meeting also underlined the need to check the growing trend of Islamophobia, especially in countries where Muslims have been living as minorities.
The conference, whose theme was “The Role of New Media in Confronting Terrorism and Islamophobia,” voiced concerns over the growing number of “terrorist acts and their negative repercussions on Muslim communities.”
The OIC ministers of information reaffirmed that “terrorism has no religion, and is not exclusively associated with a specific nationality or place.”
The 11th session of the OIC information ministers agreed to devise ways and means to check and manage social media networks, which have been instrumental in instigating and recruiting youngsters as terrorists.
“As part of the new media strategy, a series of documentary films on terrorism and its adverse impact will be shown on social media,” said a statement released on this occasion.
The OIC conference discussed a range of issues on its final day, like the situation in Palestine; the role of media to restore peace and security in region; adoption of foreign media programs; bolstering efforts to set up an OIC TV station; and support for media organizations in member states.
The conference strongly condemned the terror attacks that took place this week, including Turkey, Germany and Jordan.
Referring to the new media strategy, a final communique released in Jeddah called for moderation and objectivity to be adopted by media houses. These will be the two main components of the OIC 2025 media strategy being promoted by the member states. The statement also emphasized “the importance of cooperation among member states in developing mechanisms to fight terrorism.”
The statement denounced the “criminal act by the Houthi militias, who launched a ballistic missile toward the holy city of Makkah.”
The conference also reaffirmed and endorsed the final communique of the emergency meeting of the OIC foreign ministers in November, which called for a collective stance against the heinous aggression and those behind it.
The OIC statement also commended efforts to hold interfaith dialogues among different religions. The next OIC information ministers’ meeting will be held in Istanbul, Turkey.

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