Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Moscow, SANA –The Second International Forum “Journalists of Islamic countries against extremism” organized by the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia-Islamic World” began its activities in the Russian capital, Moscow.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day forum, the Russian President’s Special Representative for the Middle East and Africa, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mikhail Bogdanov said that combating terrorism requires unifying efforts of the international community and respecting the international law under the supervision of the UN Security Council central bodies.
He underlined Russia’s key contribution within the framework of the international campaign to combat terrorism in Syria, expressing his country’s readiness to cooperate with other partners and all parties concerned with eliminating terrorism and extremism.
Bogdanov highlighted the constructive and serious measures taken to fight terrorism and extremism in accordance with the UN Charter provisions, noting to Russia’s active participation over the past two years where a series of international conventions and binding resolutions related to counter-terrorism have been adopted, including the UN Security Council resolutions 2170, 2178,2199, 2253 and 2254.
He urged journalists from Arab and Islamic countries and their Russian colleagues to work together to form public opinion of Muslim youths in an appropriate way serving their societies and future.
For his part, Coordinator of the Group of Strategic Vision “Russia-Islamic World” Veniamin Popov said that combating international terrorism cannot be achieved only through military means or drying up its resources, rather we should expose those standing behind it, highlighting the important role of mass media as a fourth power in this war against terrorism which spread across the Middle East countries and reached Europe.
Tatarstan President and Chairman of The Group of Strategic Vision “Russia-Islamic World”, Rustam Minnikhanov, said that the world has serious challenges ahead, particularly confronting terrorism which uses Islam as a cover for heinous crimes committed in its name.
He added that the journalists have difficult mission in combating international terrorism and exposing its supporters in Arab and Islamic countries.
On the sidelines of the forum, Egyptian journalist Nabil Zaki said that there is no difference between terrorist organizations since all of them are operating with al-Qaeda which, in turn, cooperate with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist organization.
He noted that the weapons sent by the US to the so-called “Free Army” were delivered and sold to the ISIS and Jabhat al-Nusra terrorist organizations, adding that all these organizations are working under one cover and there is no such term “moderate opposition”.
For his part, Lebanese journalist Waseem Kalaji said that we are looking forward to Geneva talks, underlining the importance of reaching an accord on holding them which serves all parties in Syria.
He stressed that the Syrian people only have the right to determine their destiny, adding that any foreign intervention in the Syrian affairs is unacceptable.
43 senior and prominent journalists from 19 Islamic countries, including Syria, are taking part in this forum which focuses on continuing the discussion of information policy in the fight against Islamist extremist.
R. Raslan / Ghossoun
