The Minister of Information (MoIN), Lamin Queen Jammeh, was among several information ministers attending the 12th Islamic Cooperation of Information Ministers, which was held in Istanbul, Turkey from October 21st to October 22nd 2022.
Member states discussed the problems they face because of the rise of disinformation and how hard it is to get to the truth everywhere in the world.
In his address to the gathering, Minister Jammeh called on the member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to work together to fight disinformation, which is a threat to Muslim countries.
He outlined the important role the media can play in fighting Islamophobia and called for a collective commitment to combat it by presenting the truth about Islam in a clear and concise manner.
He used the event to highlight the OIC projects in The Gambia, as the country prepares to host the OIC Summit, the second largest summit in the world. He also asked the OIC for support in building the institutional capacity of member states that are having macro-economic problems by filling in the gaps.
The Minister also signed the Statute for the OIC Media Forum (OMF), which seeks to develop media and communication enterprises in the Muslim world. The Statute also seeks to help member states work together and give the media a bigger role in reviving and promoting Islamic civilisation.
At the start of the meeting, H.E. Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, Saudi Minister of Media, handed over the chairmanship of the conference to the Republic of Turkey. In his statement, H.E. Al-Qasabi highlighted the challenges the world is currently experiencing and the need to coordinate efforts among the OIC Member States to confront them. He called for developing a trust-based roadmap with clear mechanisms to advance joint Islamic action.
H.E. Prof. Fahrettin Altun, Director of Communications at the Presidency of the Republic of Turkey, Chair of the meeting, outlined the challenges faced by Member States and underlined the great responsibility incumbent upon the Conference, in view of the rising phenomenon of disinformation and the resulting problems.
In his address at the opening, Mr. Hissein Brahim Taha, Secretary General of the OIC, expressed gratitude to the leadership of Turkey for hosting the session, as well as to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for its efforts and achievements during its chairmanship of the previous session of the Islamic Cooperation of Information Ministers.
H.E. Brahim Taha affirmed that the session was to discuss the challenges facing the information sector and its infrastructure in the OIC Member States and the media discourse through both traditional and social media networks, which, he noted, have made it possible for everyone to send and receive news and media content.
Secretary General Brahim Taha pointed to the continued upsurge of the phenomenon of terrorism and extremist discourse, which have found their way into some of the Muslim societies and managed to lure segments of the young population under the cover of pseudo-Islamic slogans that have nothing to do with the Islamic religion.
The session addressed other themes and issues; most notably, the role of the media in supporting the cause of Palestine and Al-Quds Al-Sharif, the Special Media Programme Highlighting Africa’s Position and Role in the Islamic World, and the project to launch the OIC Award for Distinguished Media Outlets and Media Professionals in the Field of Promoting Dialogue, Tolerance, and Intercultural Harmony.
The ministerial meeting was preceded by the Senior Officials’ Preparatory Meeting on Friday.
The Minister was accompanied by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Information, Mr. Yankuba Saidy; the Director of Information Services, Mrs. Aisha Davies Ann; and the Deputy Director of Information, Mr. Ebrima A Njie.
