Arab experts discuss role of media in countering terrorism

A team of experts concerned with monitoring the role of Arab media in countering the phenomenon of terrorism, held a meeting today at the headquarters of the Secretariat General of the Arab League in Cairo, with the participation of representatives of Arab countries.
In his speech while heading the opening session of the meeting, Ibrahim Al Abed, Advisor to the National Media Council Chairman, said that the meeting is the result of previous meetings on the topic of terrorism, noting that an international conference was held yesterday in the UAE on combatting extremism and cyber-terrorism, and a similar meeting was held in Doha.
Al Abed also expressed the hope that the meeting would take tangible steps which will realise its decisions and visions.
Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector of the Arab League, stressed the meeting’s importance for discussing the regional challenge of facing increased terrorist activity and pointed out that the region is facing both regional and international terrorism.
She added that the Arab League, through the Arab Ministers of Media Council, has issued numerous recommendations to activate the media’s role in countering terrorism while many meetings were held to discuss this matter, highlighting the regional and international role of the media.
She also stressed the importance of meetings that were held in Bahrain and Sudan last year, adding that many further meetings will be held to execute the recommendations of Arab media ministers. She also valued the role of Arab countries in organising and hosting such important meetings.
She highlighted last week’s hosting by Qatar of a meeting on electronic media and its role in countering terrorism. The Saudi Electronic Media Council website was also discussed, as well as notes regarding this topic by member countries.
The meeting, which was attended by Fowzi El Gowil, Head of the Technical Secretariat of the Council of Ministers of Media, discussed the recommendations of the team’s 16th meeting and recommendations from a workshop about religious speech and its role in fighting terrorism, which was held in Sudan.
The meeting also discussed following the executive orders of the stage plan for a joint Arab media strategy to fight terrorism.
 
Source: WAM