Saudi Minister of Media Salman Al-Dosari said that the 53rd session of the Council of Arab Media Ministers held in the Moroccan capital, Rabat, would address highly significant issues namely sketching an anti-terrorism Arab media strategy.
Al-Dosari underscored Wednesday the need for a joint Arab mechanism to address online content that deviates from religious, and moral values, urging the development of effective mechanisms to deal with such online platforms.
He highlighted the Kingdom’s support for unity among Arabs, saying it hosted the 32nd Session of the Arab League Summit amid challenges in the Arab world and it resulted in issuing the Jeddah Declaration that stressed joint Arab work.
Moroccan Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid, who was chairing Wednesday’s session, said that Morocco under the leadership of King Mohammed VI exerts efforts to defend the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and the Islamic and Arab identity of Jerusalem.
Bensaid noted that Morocco is involved in joint Arab work, specifically in media.
The developments in media technology and communication are considered the “greatest challenge to the sector” in terms of the capability to go along with these developments and face international media competition.
The minister further highlighted the challenge of legal regulations in the Arab world which fail to go along with the technological developments witnessed in the media industry.
Chairman of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation (SCMR) Karam Gabr indicated that the Palestinian cause is at the forefront of the issues discussed during the meetings, alongside the continuation of the Arab media strategy, the plan of Arab media mobilization abroad, particularly with regard to the promotion of the Arab image and the role of the media in the fight against terrorism, and the Arab media map of sustainable development.
Gabr remarked that fighting terrorism and extremism in the media is equally important to fighting them militarily, calling for endorsing a clear media strategy against misleading information and rumors.
The SCMR chairman mentioned proposals to establish the Arab Institute for Peace Press, highlighting that it would reinforce the Arab League’s role in achieving peace in Arab communities and between Arab countries and the world.
Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Media and Communications Sector of the League of Arab States Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi announced updating the joint anti-terrorism Arab media strategy and putting its executive plan in cooperation with Naif Arab University for Security Sciences.
In his speech, Khattabi stated that the Arab League General Secretariat attaches great importance to the Palestinian cause and defends the legal, historical, and spiritual situation of Jerusalem.
Khattabi affirmed that the Council’s desire to adopt the rules of procedure of the Arab Committee for Electronic Media and the classification by age group of electronic uses aims to protect children from unsafe practices that incite violence, extremism, and hatred, expressing his wish to see the Rabat session a beginning of the development of a clear common vision in terms of interaction with the largest digital companies.
Palestinian Minister of Information Nabil Abu Rudeineh stated that Israel is committing criminal acts in Jerusalem and Palestine, noting that the Palestinian Authority commits to international legitimacy and the Arab peace initiative.
In this context, he called for forming an international mechanism to disclose the Israeli forgery and attempts to Judaize Jerusalem.
Abu Rudeineh termed the situation as “dangerous” and requires Arab media support because Western public opinion has fallen victim to the Israeli fake media.
Moreover, the Arab information ministers hailed the efforts of King Mohammed VI in backing the Palestinian cause. The Council of Arab Information Ministers approved several resolutions on the Palestinian cause and Arab media situation.
