Jordan holds media seminar to counter "dark thought"

Wednesday 07 Oct 2015 - 15:12 Makkah mean time-24-12-1436

Amman, (IINA) - Jordanian Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammed Momani said on Tuesday that the media and intellectual efforts to counter "dark thought" are in disarray with a lack of coordination, noting that this role does not rise to the challenge posed by terrorism, Petra reported.
In opening remarks at a seminar on media's role in countering terrorism, organized by the Arab League in cooperation with Petra, Momani said many countries were awaiting the outcome of such meetings as they see the pan-Arab organization as the most capable to address the phenomenon of terror.
Stressing that "this is our war", Momani said, the Internet should be used for the good of humanity, but not by terrorist organizations, adding: We have challenges with internet service providers that had a moral obligation to assist in stopping electronic support to terrorism.
The intellectual war, he said, is undertaken by the leaders of opinion, preachers and imams, who are the key elements to achieve the objects of this war, noting that King Abdullah had sent a clear message in this context in his recent address to the UN General Assembly.
"We need further coordination and cooperation, the exchange of expertise and ideas, consultation on what we should offer in the next phase", he said, noting the huge role of the media in fending off "this criminal ideology and these dark forces".
Momani highlighted the media's key role in this regard, urging media outlets to send clear and unequivocal messages to unveil the distortion, warn against the terrorists' designs and assist various forces to stand up against them and their goals.
He noted that Jordan had adapted a media strategy focused on the religious discourse that reflects the true image of Islam and its values of tolerance, moderation, non-violence and openness to other civilizations and cultures. He mentioned the 2004 Amman Message, Common Word initiative of 2007 and World Interfaith Harmony Week, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2010.
From her part, Assistant Arab League Secretary General and Head of Media and Communication Department Haifa Abu Ghazaleh, said in remarks that terrorists were arming themselves with the media weapon to promote their objectives and aims, mislead security forces and dominate public opinion.
Petra director general Faisal Shboul told the gathering that Syria, terrorism and refugees were the three hot issues that grabbed the world attention during the deliberations of the UN General Assembly.
"This reality makes it incumbent upon all to deal firmly with these issues, top of which is the case of terrorism, which today's meeting takes place to discuss", he said.
SM/IINA

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.