Middle East Monitor
Mustapha El-Khalfi, Morocco’s Minister of Communication
Morocco’s Minister of Communication Mustapha El-Khalfi called on Arab journalists on Monday to engage in facing “Arabophobia” campaigns which aim to spread negative images about the Arab people,Anadolu has reported.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Arab Journalists’ Union meeting in Tangier, Khalfi said that they face a great challenge in what he called “Arabophobia”, which he insisted is no less dangerous than Islamophobic campaigns spreading negative and hostile images about Arabs and Muslims.
“Our image has been dealt some serious and painful blows by people who commit heinous crimes,” he pointed out. “The most recent was the burning alive of Jordanian pilot Muath Kasasbeh.” The pilot, aged 27, was burned to death by ISIS last week. The minister reiterated his country’s condolences and solidarity with the people and leadership of Jordan.
“Arab journalists face the challenge of correcting these stereotypes that continue to arise,” said Khalfi, “because they plan to present us to the world as degraded, poor and underdeveloped communities unable to carry development, progress and the challenges of modernisation.”
The Arab Journalists’ Union will discuss a number of issues at the meeting, including the proposed amendments to the union’s Statute as well as its working plan for 2015.
