Second Session: Western Media and the Portrayal of Arabs

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• Date: 01:30 PM - 03:00 PM
• Location : Amman - Jordan

media professional Yousuf Al-Hooti, who urged Muslims living in the West to take an active role in reshaping the stereotypical image of Islam. Dr. Ali Al Ruba'i from Okaz newspaper in Saudi Arabia remarked that Arabs share some responsibility for the negative portrayal of Islam, and highlighted Saudi Arabia’s extensive efforts in education to correct these misconceptions.

Media professional Salam Musafir called for the translation of Arabic literary works into European languages, commending the UAE's successful initiatives in this area. Dr. Ali Al-Jabri, President of the Union of Arab Journalists in Sweden, pointed to extremist groups as major contributors to the distortion of Islam’s image in the West. He also noted that some Western legal frameworks enable extremists to act with impunity, further exacerbating the problem. Additionally, he discussed how Europe’s far-right movements have played a role in tarnishing Islam’s reputation. Mohammad Al-Hawamdeh, Editor-in-Chief of the Jordanian news website Khaberni, criticized the lack of integration of some Arab communities in the West, arguing that this has led to a decline in empathy toward Arabs and further harmed their public image.