Recommending the establishment of a comprehensive media observatory to monitor and respond to what harms the dialogue between religions and civilizations

The Scientific Forum "The Role of Media in Enriching Dialogue among Civilizations", which was hosted by the Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University today, Monday, July 31, 2023, recommended the need to emphasize that dialogue between civilizations is the only way and the best choice for the continuation of life on our planet in contrast to the promoters of hatred and theorists of conflict between civilizations. The need to work on consolidating cultural commonalities and human values among different peoples and civilizations, on the sidelines of the closing statement session of the forum, which was held under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Amr Ezzat Salameh, President of the Association of Arab Universities, and His Excellency Sheikh Dr. Muhammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Essa, President of the Association of Islamic Studies Universities, and sponsored by Prof. Dr. Mohamed Othman Elkhosht, President of Cairo University, Prof. Dr. Hanan Junaid, Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University and Secretary General of the Association of Arab Media Faculties.

The closing statement of the scientific forum included that the activities included the organization of a first scientific session chaired by: Prof. Dr. Abdullah Al-Najjar: Professor at Al-Azhar University, session rapporteur Prof. Dr. Nourhan Al-Sheikh: Professor at the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University, in addition to the organization and a second scientific session chaired by Prof. Dr. Ashraf Jalal: Head of the Radio and Television Department, and rapporteur Prof. Dr. Samah Al-Mohammadi.

The forum statement indicated that the event included a wide participation by professors and media experts from many universities in various countries of the world, and working papers were presented that discussed the role that the media can play in creating an appropriate environment to enrich the dialogue between civilizations and presented theoretical visions that propose integration between civilizations instead of the clash of civilizations theory.

The most prominent recommendations came in emphasizing that dialogue between civilizations is the only way and the best choice for the continuation of life on our planet, as opposed to the promoters of hatred and the theorists of the conflict between civilizations. The need to work on consolidating cultural commonalities and human values among different peoples and civilizations, and working to maximize them within the framework of respecting the cultural and ideological specificity of each civilization, and the need to provide intellectual protection and immunization for young people and youth against all attempts to falsify awareness and brainwashing in favor of regional and international powers that seek to control and spread their ideas.

The recommendations dealt with emphasizing the need for educational, educational, religious and media institutions to focus on distorting the values of tolerance, moderation and acceptance of the other, and developing common strategies stemming from the correct understanding of religion and purifying religious discourse from claims of division and conflict and rejecting and excluding the other, and calling on international institutions and organizations to do their duty in supporting aspects of truth and justice. Equality between different countries and peoples within the framework of their mission to serve all humanity, achieve the interests of the international community in general, develop a comprehensive strategy to confront terrorism and extremism and expand the circle of confrontation to include work to besiege extremists as individuals, groups and countries and not enable them to spread their destructive ideas.

The recommendations referred to the need to work on building broad international political, military, security and media partnerships to besiege extremism and terrorism and to advocate conflict between civilizations, and to call on Arab and Islamic universities to adopt new ideas and innovations that would enrich dialogue and deepen civilized and human communication, and maximize cooperation and coordination between educational and media institutions in Arab countries. And Islamic and the rest of the world to lay down serious and effective foundations for dialogue, and to call on all countries of the world and its various institutions to respect the main beliefs and symbols of the various laws and not to attack them.

The recommendations referred to in the final statement included the formation of a working group of scholars, researchers and thinkers in various universities and cultural and media institutions to be ambassadors of the "Building Bridges of Understanding and Peace between East and West" initiative in various countries of the world, and that the media in Arab and Islamic countries should focus on highlighting The civilized face of Islam and the contributions of Muslim scholars in various fields of science, literature and human arts.

The final statement referred to the recommendation to establish a comprehensive media observatory for traditional media and social networking sites to monitor and respond to everything that harms dialogue between religions and civilizations, take all necessary measures to prevent recurrence, support research projects and scientific literature in multiple languages, and work to disseminate this production through scientific institutions and the role of Major publications, provided that writers, researchers and thinkers representing intellectual currents and different civilizations, contribute to it, and focus on highlighting international and international initiatives and initiatives of civil society organizations calling for understanding and dialogue and affirming sublime human values that support upholding the values of brotherhood, love and mutual respect.

It is noteworthy that the scientific forum held the role of the media in enriching the dialogue between civilizations to discuss several axes that emphasize the importance of the role played by the media in bridging the gap between civilizations to integrate and consolidate their relations for the benefit of humanity. The forum also focuses on several axes, including relations between civilizations, clash or integration?, Reasons and ways of reform, intercontinental media and their employment to serve dialogue among civilizations, media strategy to support the idea of dialogue and integration between civilizations, human commonalities between divine laws and the role of media in enriching them.

 For her part, Prof. Dr. Hanan Junaid, Faculty Dean and Secretary General of the Association of Media Faculties, stated that the forum includes, during the two days of its convening, a discussion of several axes that emphasize the importance of the role played by the media in bridging the gap between civilizations for integration and consolidating their relations for the benefit of humanity, noting that the forum aims to focus on several axes, including Relations between civilizations, clash or integration?, Images exchanged between East and West.. Reasons and means of reform, Intercontinental media and its use to serve dialogue among civilizations, Media strategy to support the idea of dialogue and integration between civilizations, Human commonalities between divine laws and the role of media in enriching them.

The Dean of the Faculty of Mass Communication and the Secretary-General of the Association of Arab Media Faculties noted that the dialogue between cultures plays a role in the media, recommending a number of points on the table of decision-makers, which are as follows, the call for supporting the library of the Faculty of Mass Communication, Cairo University, with all scientific literature related to the dialogue of cultures and civilizations, Recommending the creation of a study material concerned with the study of dialogue between cultures and civilizations.