By NNN-Bernama
Madrid, Spain : The media has vital role and influence in bridging the gap between Muslims and the western world and to correct negative perceptions of Islam, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
Positive reports about Muslims can help influence reactions between the East and the West, the prime minister told reporters at the end of his visit to Spain, among others, to address the First Alliance of Civilisations ((AoC) Forum here Tuesday.
At the forum attended by political leaders, religious scholars, corporate executives, film industrialists and journalists, he romped home the message on the importance of the West understanding Islam and Muslims.
Alluding to the publication of the caricature mocking Prophet Muhammad in the media in western countries in 2006, irking Muslims worldwide, Abdullah said to the western world the offensive cartoon did not matter to them at all, but for Islam and Muslims, the caricature was not acceptable at all.
“By having a clear understanding on Islam and Muslims and their sensitivities, there will be cooperation and understanding between Islam and the western world. This also needs political commitment,” he said.
Abdullah said Islamic teachings cannot be faulted for the protracted conflicts between the Islamic world and the West.
“Islam wants peace and harmony. Islamic countries also want to progress and be successful. Islam don’t want riots and any degrading and destructive actions.
“Political actions cause these things to happen,” said Abdullah, who is also Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) chairman.
The prime minister said various actions have been and are being taken to improve the livelihood of Muslims who are still poor, backward and segregated due to lack of education.
“The OIC is helping to redeem them from the clutches of poverty by giving emphasis to human capital development, science and technology,” he added.
During the visit, Abdullah met Spanish president Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, invited him to visit Malaysia and to attend an international conference on Islamic World and the West in Kuala Lumpur in June.
In his meeting with the United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, Abdullah said they discussed the situation in Myanmar.