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OIC Ministers Agree to Launch Islamic Satellite Channel
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| Qatari Emir
at OIC meetings in Doha
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DOHA, Dec. 31 (IslamOnline
& News Agencies) - Culture ministers of the Organization of the Islamic
Conference (OIC), who met in Doha at the weekend, have agreed to launch a
satellite television channel that would seek to improve the image of Islam, one
participant said Monday, December 31, 2001.
The television, to be based in Qatar, will cost 30 million dollars, the
participant told Agence France-Presse (AFP), speaking on condition of anonymity.
The official gave no details about the funding or date of launch of the project,
which has been under consideration for several years by the OIC-affiliated
Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO).
Qatar's emir and current OIC chairman, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, had
described the proposed channel as "an important instrument in the dialogue
with other civilizations," especially in the aftermath of the September 11
terror attacks on the United States.
It is necessary to "correct the erroneous image of Islam being propagated
by some intellectual and media circles, chiefly in the West," he told the
opening session of the ministers' meeting on Saturday, AFP reported.
The OIC has condemned the September 11 strikes, which Washington has blamed on
Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, and urged the West not to associate
terrorism with Islam.
Meanwhile, an OIC Foreign Ministers' meeting on terrorism is expected to be held
in Kuala Lumpur in the middle of next year, the official Iranian news agency (IRNA)
reported Monday.
Malaysian Foreign Minister,
Syed Hamid Albar, said the OIC member countries had agreed in principle to
Malaysia's proposal to host the conference.
"We must find a way and
reach a consensus in tackling the issue on terrorism which has been linked to
Islam," IRNA reported him as saying.
Hamid said the OIC countries
must find an accurate terminology for terrorism because it was now frequently
linked to the Islamic religion, particularly following the September 11.
"Malaysia feels that
there must be close cooperation among all the developed and developing countries
in tackling the terrorist issue," he said.
He said the terrorism issue had also created a negative image for Muslim
countries to the extent that Muslims throughout the world had to face various
problems.
Hamid added that the outcome
of the meeting would be forwarded to the United Nations to come up with an
accurate terminology for "terrorism" and propose necessary measures to
overcome the problem.
"We believe that the
terrorist issue could only be resolved effectively through dialogues and
discussions," he said.
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