Cairo: The UAE media plays an effective and vital role in combating extremism and terrorism, said Dr Sultan Ahmad Al Jaber, Minister of State and Chairman of the National Media Council.
Al Jaber said that this is thanks to the wise leadership’s directives and vision on the important role played by the media in combating violence and hatred.
Al Jaber’s remarks came during the UAE’s opening speech for the Arab Ministers of Information meeting at the Arab League’s headquarters in Cairo, a meeting which the UAE chaired.
“The circumstances in the Arab world reaffirms the importance of continuing our focus on the intellectual aspect that the UAE presented on the role of the media in promoting values of tolerance and combating extremism, as well as activating the media work for the purpose of highlighting values of tolerance and coexistence, which is ideal solution for combating extremism and terrorism,” said Al Jaber.
Al Jaber presented the UAE’s initiatives, such as establishing the Muslim Council of Elders that focuses on strengthening peace in Muslim communities and highlighting the civilised image of Islam. He pointed out that the UAE had also set up the Sawab Centre, which is tasked with focusing on the underlining the monstrous acts that mar the image of Islam and the religion’s tolerant and humanitarian values.
Al Jaber indicated that the UAE had also set up Hedayah Centre, an institution for debate and cooperation in the field of combating all forms of extremism.
Al Jaber emphasised the importance of intensifying cooperation and efforts for eliminating all attempts to deface the image of Arab and Islamic civilisation. He also called on widening the scope of the Arab League’s charter on the media code of ethics to include online media and social networking websites. He said that many Arab youths are depending nowadays on such forms of media to obtain information and news, and added that this step would help safeguard Arab societies from extremism and terrorism.
