TUNIS, 15 January 2003 — Interior Minister Prince Naif, who is also the honorary president of the Arab Interior Ministers’ Council, yesterday emphasized the need for a stronger Arab media to counter anti-Arab media smear campaigns.
Addressing the concluding session of a meeting of the council, Prince Naif hoped that today’s joint meeting of Arab interior and information ministers would come out with resolutions that corresponded to current international developments.
Information Minister Dr. Fouad Al-Farsy will attend the joint meeting in Tunis.
“As the opposing media exerts its influence on public opinion, we hope that the Arab media will rise to the occasion to strengthen Arab security,” the minister said in an impromptu speech.
In a speech at the opening session of the conference on Monday, Prince Naif condemned the move to incriminate the whole Arab nation for the mistakes of certain individuals.
Prince Naif reiterated the resolve of Arab interior ministries and security agencies to fight terrorism not through oppression but through awareness campaigns.
He urged the Arab youth to stick to the straight and narrow. “We have to save the Ummah from dangers and uphold the teachings of Islam,” he added.
The meeting approved the Arab information plan for crime prevention and security awareness and the Arab strategy for fighting drugs. It also endorsed the reports related to the Arab security strategy, the Arab accord, the strategy to combat terrorism and the Arab strategy for traffic security.
Meanwhile, the permanent Arab information committee held a meeting here yesterday and called for a joint Arab information plan to counter the US move to shift its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The meeting stressed the need to mobilize Arab and Islamic public opinion to convince Washington to back down from the decision. It also backed the Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation and Jewish settlements.
