JEDDAH, 9 June 2005 — Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani yesterday called upon the Arab media to shoulder its responsibility in promoting tolerance, moderation and a culture of dialogue where viewpoints of others will be respected.
“Saudi Arabia, which is the cradle of Islam and Salam (peace), has stood firmly against all types of extremism and terrorism,” Madani said while addressing a meeting of Arab information ministers in Cairo.
“The official and private Arab media has a responsibility in highlighting the values of virtue and tolerance, keeping people away from violence and in encouraging them to respect the viewpoints of others,” the Saudi Press Agency quoted Madani as saying.
Madani said such a media strategy was required to confront deviant thoughts and change the stereotypes about Arabs and their culture. He referred to the keynote speech by Crown Prince Abdullah at the international counterterrorism conference in Riyadh last February, in which he emphasized that Islam is a religion of peace and benevolence. Prince Abdullah had proposed the establishment of an international center to combat terrorism and Madani urged the Cairo meeting to support that proposal.
Madani also announced Saudi donation of $100,000 to reconstruct and modernize Palestinian media institutions and another $100,000 to finance a study on the sufferings of Palestinian children and their families under Israeli occupation. The money will be partly used to fund a world tour by Palestinian children to tell about their plight.
Earlier, addressing a cultural evening organized by Ibrahim Al-Ibrahim, Saudi Ambassador to Egypt, Madani said Saudi Arabia has always been a force of moderation throughout history.
“Saudi Arabia played the role of a stabilizing force when storms of division and differences hit the region. It also confronted extremism and radicalism,” he told the function attended by Egyptian Information Minister Anas Al-Faqi and Arab ambassadors.
Madani emphasized the Kingdom’s efforts to enhance the welfare and prosperity of its citizens by carrying out a series of educational, health and economic projects. “The government spends about 10 percent of the gross domestic product on education and sends thousands of students abroad for higher education,” he said.
The minister highlighted the growing role of women in Saudi society. On the controversial issue of women driving, Madani said, “Islam has not banned women from driving; Interior Minister Prince Naif has said it’s a social issue and society alone can take a decision on this matter.”
