MORE RESEARCH TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONS BETWEEN ARAB AND ISLAMIC COUNTRIES

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- The Arab and Islamic countries have been urged
to undertake more serious research to strengthen relations between them in order
to tackle the challenges arising from globalisation.

Head of the Central Training Academy of the Baath Arab Socialist Party of Syria,
Dr Ali Diab said it was critical to have such research conducted through the
parties in order to achieve serious steps on the path of political, economic,
media and cultural cooperation.

"We should integrate together quickly to achieve cooperation to confront the
globalisation challenges, and to achieve justice and equality in the world, as
the international economic, political alliances and blocs are the ideal tools
for progress and prosperity.

"If Arab and Islamic countries wanted to gain status, prestige and influence in
the media globalisation era, the existing Arab and Islamic institutions should
be activated to promote solidarity in the face of global media domination
threats pursued by the West," he said.

He said this during a panel disscussion on "New Media and the Creation of Global
Citizens" at the international forum titled "The Global Civilian Structuring,
Media Liberation and the New Political Events", here Monday.

Dr Ali also pointed out the need to make a reformation that promote the
performance to serve economy, society and culture and preserve the Arab and
Islamic identity.

To do that, he highlighted the steps including revising the curricula of
education, culture and media, and eradicating illiteracy to immunise the
cosmopolitan citizens against the misinformation of the prevailing media.

Another panelist, Zimbabwe's member of Parliament, Senator Monica Mutsvangwa
said the media was certainly playing a major role in creating global citizens.

Events, wherever thay may occur, were communicated to a large number of people
all over the world and people reacted to them at a global scale, she said.

"Advanced communication technologies like the internet create global citizens.
Under the new circumstances, politicians have two options; to renounce, slow
down, delay or obstruct the change or they can manage the change by embracing
and becoming part of the change," she said.

She said the advent of the new media had changed social information systems and
had posed both challenges and opportunities to media guidance undertakings of
the party and government.

"Examples are network theft, obscenity and vulgar information undermining mental
and physical health, spread of rumours thus infringing upon individual privacy
and reputation," she said.

Meanwhile, Wanita (Women) Barisan Nasional assistant secretary Raja Ropiaah Raja
Abdullah, said Malaysia had followed the transformative model of globalisation,
taking what was good for the country and at the same time actively influencing
the globalisation process.

Raja Ropiaah said being a global citizen did not mean that Malaysians would lose
the country’s identity.

"With the information and the knowledge that we have, we are able to make
comparisons of what is good and bad in each country and with the new media, we
are also able to promote and address any negative issues that arises," she said.

The two-day forum, officiated by the Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin
Monday, is attended by 63 representatives from 22 political parties from 22
countries, the Overseas Umno Club (KULN), foreign embassies' delegations and
political analysts. It was held in conjunction with the 61st United Malays
National Organisation (Umno) General Assembly. Umno leads the ruling coalition
Barisan Nasional.
-- BERNAMA