ShareKUWAIT/CAIRO: Kuwait's Minister of Information and Culture and State Minister for Youth Abdulrahman Al-Mutairi on Wednesday congratulated Kuwait Journalists Association Chairman Adnan Al-Rashed on his election as Vice President of the Federation of Arab Journalists. The minister regarded the move a result of the distinction and high reputation of Kuwaiti journalism in the Arab region.
Information Ministry spokesman Anwar Murad said Mutairi congratulated Rashed, saying this selection reflects the appreciation for Kuwaiti press and its freedom of expression, professional credibility and moral responsibility. The minister wished the Federation of Arab Journalists success in serving Arab journalists and supporting freedom of expression and objectivity. The selection came at FAJ talks held in Cairo under the auspices of Egyptian President Abdelfattah Al-Sisi, amid the participation of unions, organizations and press associations representing 18 Arab countries.
The closing statement of the conference announced the following: In view of the heinous crime the Zionist enemy committed, proving the criminal identity of this enemy, through the assassination of journalist and Palestinian hero Shireen Abu Akleh, the general conference of Arab journalists decided to name this round after Martyr Shireen Abu Akleh, in recognition of Arab journalists and the major roles of this martyr, which she performed professionally and with courage.
This also condemns this crime and declares amazement at the lack of ability by the international community to open a transparent and independent investigation into this heinous crime and announce a punishment for it. The general conference of Arab journalists renews its support of the measure taken by Palestinian Journalists Syndicate by filing a complaint at the International Criminal Court and demanding its quick activation as soon as possible. It also supports the Arab League decision which designated an Arab day for journalism to immortalize the yearly anniversary of the assassination of Martyr Shireen Abu Akleh.
The conference confirms that at free Arab journalists stand with the Palestinian people, who are facing one of the most dangerous forms of colonialization in the entire history of humanity, while facing the most ugly tyranny, killing, torture, imprisonment, kidnapping and land confiscation with clear collusion by international powers and international community that has double standards in dealing with international issues and grave violation of human rights around the world.
The federation declares its solidarity with Palestinian colleagues led by their fighting syndicate (Palestinian Journalists Syndicate) and expresses its readiness to present all forms of support. It also announces its decision to commission a committee to prepare an integrated work program to materialize this support. The conference renews its absolute solidarity with Yemeni journalists who are targeted by killing, kidnapping or imprisoned without trials, and calls for an immediate halt of such practices and free all jailed journalists.
The 14th General Conference of the Federation of Arab Journalists renews its affirmation that there is no talk about facing social, political and economic major challenges the Arab nation is going through without true journalistic freedom, guarantee of journalists' safety and safeguarding their dignity. It also calls to allow Arab media to carry out its role in full to convey news and information, analyses and expose corruption, and that there should be true paths for societal dialogue which reflects pluralism, differences and diversity.
Arab journalists are aware the Arab nation is under dangerous targeting by some international powers that use freedom of media as means of pressure and blackmail to impose the fulfillment of its economic and geostrategic interests, and for sure the sudden focus by some international media and some organizations on certain Arab countries under the current circumstances reveals malicious intentions that are not related to declared goals.
So as much as FAJ defends freedom of journalism, expression and publication in their countries and their continued readiness to face all form of encroaching on it, it also defends the national interests of Arab countries and peoples, and the independence of national decisions in Arab countries, and rejects all forms of pressure and blackmail. So, it confirms its total awareness of the new colonialization policy of some parties on behalf of imperialist powers that aim at dividing some Arab countries, as the case is in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Sudan and Somalia.
The 14th conference of FAJ affirms its rejection to all foreign interference in these countries, and its defense of the unity of Syria, Yemen, Libya and Somalia, and declares its total support for the self-rule initiative that Morocco proposed to guarantee a just and permanent solution for the artificial dispute in Western Sahara. It also announces its absolute support for the Egyptian and Sudanese people in their legitimate right to preserve their water security with regards to the dispute Ethiopia instigated, with a foreign plan that seeks to weaken these two countries. It also demands an end to all forms of occupation of Syrian lands.
On the other hand, the Federation of Arab Journalists admits the importance and danger of the deep changes the media and communications sector is under, which was accompanied by a rise in demand for media production that is characterized with triviality, which brings up major challenges that demand deep reforms.
The Federation of Arab Journalists distinguishes between freedom of expression and publication, which must be sacred and protected by law, and practices that instill public repulsion against this freedom itself, because encroachment on people's honor and society values will give legitimacy to make citizens become enemies of this freedom.
