“Our efforts in this respect are still meager compared to the strident smear campaigns we are facing around the world, especially in the West,” said Hassan Al-Ahdal, director general for media and public relations at the MWL.

“We have to hold seminars and conferences in various parts of the world inviting non-Muslims to correct this perception. We should also have a strong media, including satellite channels and news agencies that can influence public opinion and take our viewpoints to people across the world,” he said.

Speaking to Arab News, Al-Ahdal reiterated MWL’s condemnation of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States and emphasized that the event has nothing to do with Islam and Muslims. “Terrorism has no religion and terrorists could be found among followers of all religions,” he said, adding that Islam has prohibited the killing of innocent people.

He commended the interfaith dialogue initiative launched by Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, saying it would bring followers of different religions closer and strengthen world peace and stability.

“The initiative will bridge the gap between the East and West and promote understanding between the various cultures. We need to strengthen this initiative by holding more meetings between leaders of various faiths,” he said.

Emphasizing the importance of the media, the MWL official urged Muslim businessmen to invest in this vital sector. “We don’t have a strong international news agency, we don’t have satellite channels that can speak to the West and most of our media organizations receive their material from Western sources. We have to change this situation. We have funds and human resources.”

He said the second international media conference to be held in Jakarta on Dec. 13-16, organized by the MWL, would propose the establishment of television channels that can address the West and formation of an independent international news agency. More than 500 media persons from different parts of the Islamic world will attend the conference to review the present status of Islamic media and make proposals to strengthen it.

Al-Ahdal urged Islamic cultural centers in the US and other Western countries to conduct programs to present to non-Muslims the message of Islam. “Most Americans are unaware of what is Islam and they hear or read only negative reports on Islam and Muslims. We have to reach them through various channels, including the social media, to change their wrong perceptions.”

He called for joint efforts by all Muslim countries to confront the stereotypes against Islam.

“It’s not the duty of Saudi Arabia alone. All Muslim countries should make combined efforts to counter smear campaigns. We have to work together to improve the image of Muslims by all means. There are a lot of available means, including the Internet and social media, but we have not exploited them properly,” Al-Ahdal said.