JEDDAH, 15 August 2006 — Information ministers from the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) will meet in Jeddah on Sept. 9-11 to work out a strategy to confront anti-Islamic media coverage.
The ministers are expected to discuss ways and means to implement the resolutions related to information taken by the emergency Islamic summit that was held in Makkah last December.
A number of papers on prospects of improving the current status of media organizations in member countries and developing mechanisms for joint media work will be presented.
“The ministers will work out a framework for integrated media work,” an informed source said.
A number of preparatory meetings will be held under the supervision of Saudi Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani and his deputies to make the three-day conference a success.
Safar Al-Maqati, head of communications at Umm Al-Qura University, emphasized the need for setting up consultancy councils to integrate media organizations in the Islamic world. These councils will discuss contemporary issues and adopt strategies to confront anti-Islamic media bias.
He also emphasized the need for mobilizing media organizations in the service of Islamic issues. He hoped that the OIC conference would be successful in taking a unified and firm stand on negative media that targets Islam and Muslims.
The Jeddah meeting comes at the heels of an international conference organized by the OIC in London in May on how to check the rising tide of Islamophobia in Europe.
“Challenging Stereotypes in Europe and the Islamic World: Working Together for Constructive Policies and Partnerships,” was the theme of the conference that was attended by eminent scholars, politicians, journalists, non-governmental organizations and diplomats from both the Western and Islamic worlds.
Tackling Islamophobia was also one of the issues mentioned in the OIC’s 10-year action program adopted by the Makkah Summit.
The progressive action plan calls for greater political participation, equality, freedom and social justice for people in OIC countries, and it demands transparency and an end to corruption. It called for cooperation of member countries to achieve amicable settlement of regional conflicts.
This is the seventh meeting of OIC information ministers. The last meeting, that was held in Cairo in 2003, set out some principles for media men and organizations in the member countries to follow. The meeting urged them to promote, peace, moderation and respect for other faiths and objective reporting.
In a related development, the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an affiliate of the OIC, is drafting an agreement on issuing Makkah visas proposed by the last Islamic summit.
Ambassador Atta Al-Mannan, deputy secretary-general of the OIC, said member countries would not be forced to issue such visas, adding that the measure is optional.
The Makkah visa, which will be along the lines of the Schengen visa, was proposed by the Islamic chamber to promote trade and investment between Muslim countries. The Schengen visa refers to the 15 European Union nations that allow document-free travel across their borders.
“Studies are also under way to revise the OIC Charter in light of proposals made by a group of Muslim scholars after a meeting in Makkah last year,” Al-Mannan told the daily Al-Madinah.
