Journalists to dispel misconception about Islam

[al-fateh]

Journalists to dispel misconception about Islam
4/30/2006 6:00:00 PM GMT


25 journalists from 17 Arab countries are gathering on Tuesday in Malaysia for a media workshop that will tackle the active role journalists can play in dispelling Western misconception about Islam.

"Journalists can exchange articles and the mass media can invite guest writers and commentators," Fahad Ebrahim, Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), assistant editor, told Bernama.

Media organisations in the Muslim world can arrange workshops and forums which would create some sort of positive interaction with Western journalists and thus clarify widespread misconception about the noble Islamic religion and present its true image, added.

The team of Arab journalists will attend the five-day workshop-cum-familiarisation in Malaysia at the Corus Hotel, jointly organised by the Malaysian News Agency (Bernama) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The workshop will also study ways to bridge the information gap between the Islamic and Western world.

Also participants are expected to agree on a common approach in covering events in the Middle East and issues concerning Islam.

"The media of the Islamic countries should reach deep into the Western world to show the true image of the Islamic world," said Bandar Zhayan Al-Shallahi, another participant.

Also Egyptian Hayam Hammam of the Middle East News Agency (MENA) stressed that journalists can play an active role in bridging the information gap by organising awareness campaigns for their readers.

"Journalists can also convince their readers that the Internet can be their best way to talk to each other, promoting dialogue and denouncing violence," she said in her email to Bernama.

"I consider Malaysia as the best model of an Islamic country because it focuses on the core of Islam and not on the controversial superficial issues," she said.