VZCZCXRO5073
RR RUEHBC RUEHDA RUEHDE RUEHGI RUEHJS RUEHKUK RUEHLH RUEHPW RUEHROV
DE RUEHRB #0114 0371507
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 061507Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY RABAT
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9630
INFO RUCNISL/ISLAMIC COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 3193
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RUEHLC/AMEMBASSY LIBREVILLE 0656
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI 0157

UNCLAS RABAT 000114 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR NEA/PPD, NEA/MAG, AND NEA/PI 
LONDON, PARIS AND DUBAI FOR MEDIA HUBS 
 
E.0.12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM KPAO EAID KMPI MO
SUBJECT: ISLAMIC COMMUNICATIONS MINISTERS DISCUSS GAZA, IMAGE OF ISLAM 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: Communications Ministers from Organization of 
Islamic Conference (OIC) member states met in Rabat on January 27-28 
to address the image of Islam in the international media.  A prepared 
statement from King Mohammed VI of Morocco opened the event, focusing 
on Gaza, encouraging continued cooperation within the Islamic world, 
and advocating better communications to promote the image of Islam. 
The conferees adopted a "Rabat Declaration," focusing on these same 
basic themes.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) The King's opening statement declared that Morocco would 
continue its efforts to put an end to aggression and occupation in 
Gaza, to lift the "sanctions" against Gazans, and work towards a 
peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict through the 
establishment of an independent state of Palestine, with Jerusalem as 
its capital.  The King advocated the adoption of new means of 
communication and more effective planning and coordination to convey 
the voice of the Islamic world, highlighting the importance of 
keeping up with information technology and new media so as to present 
an accurate image of Muslims and Islam.  Participants "lauded" the 
King's message adopted it as one of the basic documents of the 
conference.  A decision was made to hold the next (ninth) edition of 
this conference in Gabon in 2011. 
 
¶3.  (U) The two-day event culminated with the issuance of the "Rabat 
Declaration."  On the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Declaration hailed 
the role of the Islamic media in "revealing the despicable Israeli 
aggression" against Gazans, urging the media to continue pursuing 
efforts to highlight and support the "legitimate struggle of the 
Palestinian people."  It condemned Israel's "harassment" of the press 
and its refusal to provide access to Gaza for journalists to cover 
"the killing of humans and the destruction of homes and trees."  It 
called on the media to support all efforts to achieve national unity 
of the Palestinian people. 
 
¶4.  (U) In the field of strategic communications, the Declaration 
underscored the value of transparency and accountability in the 
media, and called for an integrated plan to address the image of 
Islam in the outside world.  It outlined the role of the Islamic 
media in confronting and exposing efforts to spread prejudice and 
hatred against Muslims, and to associate Islam with violence and 
terrorism.  It emphasized how emerging technologies can be leveraged 
to help the media fight all forms of intolerance, racism and hatred, 
and promote democratic societies, the values of citizenship, human 
rights, and mechanisms for good governance.  It supported the ongoing 
efforts to restructure and fund the Islamic News Agency (INA) and the 
Islamic Broadcasting Union (ISBU), which are to play a key role in 
the campaign to bolster Islam's image. 
 
¶5.  (U) Aside from the government-owned media, the local Moroccan 
press barely feigned interest in the conference, providing 
perfunctory coverage, and practically no commentary.  One prominent 
independent newspaper director, noted for his fiery criticism of the 
Moroccan Government, excoriated the assembled ministers, stating that 
Ministries of Communication were nothing more than obsolete 
propaganda machines designed to prop up Arab regimes.  He said that 
the only service the ministers could render to the Arab people would 
be to disband their ministries. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment: This conference suggests that the Gaza crisis has 
had a universalizing effect across the Islamic world, and 
demonstrated that the Information Ministry officials are in closer 
accord than those working at the summit level.  End comment. 
 
JACKSON