State Minister for Information and Broadcasting of Bangladesh Mohammad Ali Arafat has proposed the creation of a collaborative digital platform to combat spreading of disinformation by Israel against Palestine.
State Minister made this proposal in a speech given at the special session of the Islamic Conference of Information Ministers of the member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday afternoon local time.
A video message from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was broadcasted at the opening of the special session. OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, Palestinian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Information Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Turkey’s Communications Directorate President Fahrettin Altun delivered speeches at the opening of the session. Information Ministers of OIC member states participated in this special session and 25 among them delivered speeches on behalf of their countries.
The theme of the special session was ‘The Israeli Occupation Authority’s Disinformation and Hostility against Journalists and Media Outlets in the Occupied Palestinian Territory’.
In his speech at the session, Bangladesh’s State Minister for Information also said, the world has hardly seen the continued killing of journalists and spreading of disinformation in Gaza. To combat against such disinformation, a collaborative effort is needed. Israeli attacks on journalists working in conflict zones should be highlighted in the world media to attract more attention. A collaborative digital platform must be created to combat the spreading of misleading disinformation against Palestine. I request the OIC Secretariat to immediately prepare a plan in this regard. Bangladesh is ready to support the efforts of the OIC Secretariat to establish a standard information and documents pool containing documents of war crimes committed by Israel. The Secretariat may regularly exchange this information with all member states. The OIC Secretariat could also conduct a training program to combat disinformation spread by Israel.
At that time, Mohammad Ali Arafat added, Israel has systematically disseminated false and misleading news to hide the cruelty and grave violation of international law in Gaza. Israel’s despicable disinformation campaign is an attempt to cover up blatant war crimes, including indiscriminate targeting of children, women, the elderly, journalists and human rights activists.
State Minister further said, Israel’s barbaric killings in Gaza are destroying the aspirations of a nation and depriving the occupied people of their fundamental rights. The Muslim Ummah must work together to stop this massacre and let the world the truth. Bangladesh supports and stands by the Palestinians in this dire situation.
In his speech, State Minister outlined seven points of recommendations. First, to immediately stop the conflict in Palestine and ensure justice against crimes against humanity; second, to keep open a humanitarian corridor for a continuous, rapid and safe supply of food, water, medicine and other life-saving materials to the residents of Gaza; third, hold Israel accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity and support South Africa in legal fight against Israel at the ICJ; fourth, revisit the implementation process of all the agreed decisions in the UN, Arab Peace Initiative and the Quartet Road Map; fifth, unequivocal unity of the Muslim Ummah on the issue of Palestine and to plan a clear timeline to have a two-state solutions with the pre-1967 border living side by side under UN resolutions 242 and 338; Sixth, to raise a collective voice condemning the disinformation campaign run by the Israeli occupation forces and to highlight the actions of Israel to cover up the massacre and murder of innocent civilians and professionals and seventh, to take urgent steps to establish the OIC Media Forum.