(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) The Arab information ministers' council concluded its 46th session on Thursday with a final statement stressing the important role of mass media in promoting the culture of tolerance and combating extremism.
The conferees agreed to develop a comprehensive media strategy involving the conventional and unconventional media to build a public opinion supportive of the values of tolerance, pluralism and coexistence among individuals and communities, according to the statement.
They highlighted the importance of the utilizing the resources of the social, educational and cultural institutions to realize the objectives of the media strategy, and strengthen understanding and dialogue between the Arab and Muslim nations, on one hand, and non-Muslim nations, on the other.
They called on media outlets to strengthen controls on religious discourse and prevent dissemination of intolerant or extremist ideology.
They urged launching capacity building initiatives and programs to polish the Arab media and intellectual talents and improve the media content through specialized press institutions and influential media celebrities.
The ministers agreed also to launch observatories to gauge the media coverage of extremist ideologies and the public opinion trends, the statement pointed out.
They tasked the Arab League's Secretariat with overseeing the implementation of the five-year media strategy against terrorism in coordination with Naif Arab University for Security Sciences (NAUSS), as of next year.
On the Palestine question, the ministers reiterated commitment to keep this issue in the limelight as well as the issues of Jerusalem, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Islamic and Christian sanctities.
They called on the mass media to designate a week for supporting the struggle the Arab residents of Jerusalem against Israel's attempts to Judaize the city and blur its Islamic identity.
They approved a Saudi suggestion to reactivate the Arab committee on electronic media and convene an extraordinary meeting by the committee.
They also approved a proposal to launch an online radio and TV station for the Arab League.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.