Kok made the statement in response to concern that the image of Muslim countries was so negative in the eyes of the world, especially after the September 11 tragedy in the US.
"We must work together to project the true face of the Islamic world. During the past years, western societies and media have developed a very wrong perception of the Muslim world. It is the mission of news agencies in Islamic countries to help project the true face of Islam in the world", Kok said during a meeting with ANTARA News Agency CEO Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf here on Thursday.
However, before projecting the true face of Islam in the world, Kok said, Muslims should start thinking of how they could project the true face of themselves to fellow Muslims in other countries.
"Before thinking of how to project our image to the world, I think, we have to think of how we project our image to each other first. I appreciate ANTARA`s cooperation with news agencies from Islamic countries such as Chihan of Turkey or WAM of the United Arab Emirates. Such direct connections are better than getting information from third parties," he said.
For future cooperation between news agencies in the region, Kok suggested that members of IINA establish a joint project, instead of planning long-term cooperation.
He suggested that news agencies send their journalists to meetings to discuss certain issues such as climate change, the rise of the sea level.
"With such small discussions, journalists from the news agencies can get to know each other and then start to exchange views and ideas. Such personal approaches are better than planning big events," he said.
Kok stated only the news agencies of Islamic countries could produce good and accurate news about each other and when all news agencies in the region did this, the mission to project Islam`s image to the rest of the world would succeed.
ANTARA News Agency`s CEO Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf stated his approval to Kok`s idea saying that news agencies in Islamic countries must work together to communicate things which had happened in the region to the world.
"An agenda setting is needed for the news agencies in Islamic countries to promote the true nature of Islam and Muslims," he said.
Mukhlis said news agencies in Islamic countries could , for example, adopt editorial policies to cover certain issues such as tolerance in Islamic countries towards minorities, the peaceful solution of the Aceh conflict or the latest situation in the Karaba area.
(A051/B010)
Editor: Bambang
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
