The Muslim Council of Elders has launched the ‘Media Against Hate’ conference in the Jordanian Capital Amman in partnership with the Catholic Center for Studies and Media under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed, Member of the Muslim Council of Elders and Senior Advisor to His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and with over a hundred Arab media professionals in attendance.

Opening speeches were given by Dr. Mohammed Al Momani, former Jordanian Minister of Media Affairs on behalf of His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed as well as Dr. Sultan Al Remeithi, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Elders and Father Rifat Badr, Head of the Catholic Center for Research and Media in Amman.

 Dr. Momani said, “Jordan is at the forefront of nations that defend humanitarian and civilized values as one of the first participants in the war against terror. This conference will no doubt serve as an honorable counter to hate speech which has invaded various media platforms. I also encourage all participants in the conference to partake in studies and training to stem the tide of hate speech in the media.”

Dr. Sultan Al Remeithi said, “I would like to thank His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan and the Jordanian leadership over the years for establishing a unique model of coexistence and tolerance. I would also like to thank His Royal Highness Prince Ghazi bin Mohammed for his patronage of the ‘Media Against Hate’ conference.”

Al Remeithi continued, “This conference aims to create a coalition of media professionals to counter hate speech and discrimination in Arab media. This can be achieved through strengthening ethical standards and media charters that uphold human dignity. While the current media landscape is filled with great practices, we have plenty of room to improve it further and this is something we aim to do by providing the required resources and training for journalists and organizations.  I call on the entire media industry to do its utmost to counter intolerance and political manipulation.”

For his part, Father Rifat Badr said, “Communication tools can serve as building blocks for bridges of love and not walls of segregation, discrimination and hate. I would like to thank all members of the media who have worked tirelessly to maintain solidarity during the COVID-19 pandemic. We must continue to focus our efforts towards hosting conferences and seminars that promote ethical media practices and the promotion of peace in the media.”