OIC Secretary General Stresses Media’s Role in Curbing Hate Speech

23/10/2017- The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Dr Youssef A. Othaimeen, yesterday made a keynote speech at the fourth international seminar held by the OIC-affiliate Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC), in association with the Moroccan State Ministry for Human Rights, on the theme “Role of Media in Combating Hate Speech”, in Rabat, on 23-24 October 2017.

He placed great emphasis on the principle of freedom of expression, as preached by Islam and various human rights-driven international instruments, stressing that a responsible exercise of this right involves being fully aware of the borderline between freedom of expression and hate-mongering, extremist and racist rhetoric.

Dr Othaimeen also brought into focus the importance of elaborating a code of conduct to govern media behavior, keep it away from pointless incitement and fueling of hatred and fear of Islam, and help it advance toward promoting the values of tolerance, religious, ethnic and cultural plurality, and respect for one another.

Alongside the seminar, the Secretary General held a meeting with Dr Vladimir Norov, Head of Uzbekistan’s Institute for Strategic and Interreligious Studies, where they discussed the Muslim world situation and Uzbekistan’s share in fostering the OIC’s activities and programmes. Dr Norov gave Dr Othaimeen a present illustrating the way Muslim scholars largely contributed to the advancement of human civilization.

The Rabat seminar gathered a constellation of senior officials and experts on human rights and media, notably Moroccan State Minister for Human Rights Mr Mustafa Ramid, ISESCO Director General Dr Abdulaziz Othman Altwaijri, IPHRC Chairperson Mr Mohamed Kaggwa, UNESCO Assistant Director General Mr Frank La Rue, UNHCHR representative Mr Gianni Magazzeni, and Saudi Arabia Ambassador to Morocco Mr Abdulaziz Khoja.

Source: http://www.oic-oci.org/topic/?t_id=15961&t_ref=8057&lan=en