Libreville, 28th July, 2023 (AGP) – The Union of OIC News Agencies (UNA-OCI) urged the need for media cooperation to combat hate speech and Islamophobia, during the summit “Russia-Africa” which is held in Saint Petersburg on July 27 and 28, 2023.
According to the acting director general of the UNA, Mohammad bin Abd Rabbo Al-Yami, this forum would be held at a time when there is a great need to combat hate speech and Islamophobia in particular, in the light of the new attack on Islamic shrines, as happened recently in Sweden and Denmark, where copies of the Holy Quran were desecrated and burned.
Al-Yami praised the position of the Russian Federation towards these provocative acts, which was expressed by Russian President Vladimir Putin himself, during his visit to the Republic of Dagestan last June. Indeed, Vladimir Putin claimed that Russia has great respect for the Quran and Muslims, pointing out that “disrespect for this holy book in Russia is a crime”.
The director general of the Union of Islamic Cooperation News Agencies indicated his institution’s willingness to improve its communication with non-member states, including international federations of news agencies and international media institutions. This, while establishing media programs in areas of common interest, to promote dialogue, culture, the fight against Islamophobia and terrorism.
He explained that within the framework of this effective international communication, the union maintains fruitful cooperation relations with the relevant institutions of the Russian union, which is an observer member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and represents the cornerstone of the Union’s efforts to strengthen its partnerships at global level.
The UNA Director General revealed that this relationship has resulted in the establishment of a number of international programs and conferences to address common challenges in the media space, including the “Russia-Islamic World : Practical Steps of Media Cooperation”, which was held in the Russian capital, Moscow, last December, jointly organized by the Strategic Vision Group “Russia – Islamic World” and the Union of News Agencies of Organization of Islamic Cooperation, with the participation of leaders of the press and diplomatic work in Russia and Islam countries.
He added that: “This cooperation has also led to the conclusion of a number of memoranda of cooperation between the union and media institutions in Russia, including a memorandum of cooperation with the Sputnik agency and a memorandum of agreement with the Ruptly agency, the main international agency in the field of video and investigative journalism. »
Al-Yami also stressed his organization’s concern to explore the concerns, needs and aspirations of African news agencies, with the aim of expressing them in its future programs and initiatives. Therefore, he recalled that the participation of the UNA in the sixth General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Information, which was held last October in the Kingdom of Morocco, intervened in this direction.
DT/EN/CBO (Source UNA-OCI)
