The Seventh Session of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) of Information Ministers began today at the Jeddah Conference Palace. The conference will address current challenges faced by the Muslim world, including misconceptions of Islam, and how to deal with them. Joint media strategies will also be a key issue.
Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz opened the meeting on behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz. In his address, Crown Prince Sultan emphasized the importance of the conference, which he characterized as an extension of the December 2005 extraordinary OIC summit held in Makkah. He called for greater cooperation among Islamic media outlets, and expressed the hope that well-planned programs and continuous efforts would result in a more accurate depiction of Islam.
In remarks at the inaugural meeting, Minister of Culture and Information Iyad Madani stressed the importance of establishing joint media strategies within a creative and modern framework.
For his part, OIC Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu urged Muslim investors to invest in global media institutions in order to help correct misconceptions of Islam. He also called for a reevaluation of the International Islamic News Agency (IINA) and the Islamic Broadcasting Organization (ISBO).
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