Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Indonesian National News Agency, ANTARA, is ready to establish cooperation with African mass media players in order to shore up this sector in the region.
"ANTARA is ready to establish cooperation in arranging journalists exchanges to learn from each other, especially regarding broadcast news covering Islamic world issues," the news director of ANTARA, Aat Surya Safaat, said here on Monday.
Aat made the statement while responding to an offer made by a Nigerian Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmeed Abdul Malik, at a press conference held to meet the implementation of the International Conference of Islamic Media (ICIM).
Sheikh Abdul Malik pointed out that currently, issues and news about the Palestinian independence movement were difficult to propagate in the Middle East and African region. This is because many mass media houses are controlled by those who oppose Palestinian independence.
However, a number of movements have emerged across several areas in Africa, such as Nigeria and South Africa, that call for Palestinian independence.
Yet, these movements have not been organized properly and work as per their instincts and desires only.
"If it is possible, I ask the Indonesian news agency and media to visit Africa and provide guidance and direction to these movements," Sheikh Abdul Malik pleaded.
In connection with a decline in the news reportage about the independence of Palestine, the ANTARA News Agency, along with the Miraj Islamic News Agency (MINA), has been working together to revive the Palestine-related issues through the International Conference of Islamic Media (ICIM) slated to take place from May 25-26, 2016 in Jakarta.
The event will witness the participation of 17 representatives from the media and academics from countries around the world, such as Britain, the United States, Palestine, Egypt, Nigeria, Malaysia, Iran, Tunisia, Lebanon, Turkey, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Libya, Sudan and Australia.(WDY)
