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HE Dr. Mohamed Bechari, Secretary-General of The World Muslim Communities Council, affirmed that cultural and religious pluralism is soft power and protection to preserve the modern national state, stressing that the greatest responsibility in achieving this task lies with the media in all its categories, given the ability of the media to reach millions of people and influence them, as it has become the most influential means of communication between nations in creating and directing the culture of peoples, and shaping collective consciousness.

During his participation at the “Russia - Islamic World: Practical Steps in Media Cooperation” international conference, which is held on 15 and 16 December in the Russian Capital, Moscow, Bechari added it has become a duty in combating religious and intellectual extremism to work on consolidating the values of peace, tolerance, and acceptance of the other, especially in education programmes, to prepare generations capable of crossing into the space of progress, prosperity and stability.    

He explained that the UAE launched several international initiatives aimed at achieving intellectual and spiritual security, and called for the need to build a media strategy to spread a culture of tolerance and combat extremism, presenting the theme "Media Role for Promoting Tolerance and Combating Extremism " on the sidelines of the 46th Council of Arab Ministers of Information session, chaired by the UAE, which was adopted by the Council on 21 March 2015, and included several visions and practical steps to spread a culture of tolerance and combat extremism within the framework of a comprehensive media strategy, which includes the use of traditional and modern means of communication to achieve the media strategic goals.

Dr Mohamed Bechari called for the need to work on activating UN Resolution No. 65/224 issued on 11 April 2011, regarding religious defamation criminalisation in the national constitutions, stressing the need to implement the recommendations of the International Conference for the Criminalisation of Cyber-Terrorism on, that was held on 15 and 16 May, which included a number of recommendations aimed at addressing this phenomenon globally.

He stressed that The World Muslim Communities Council, in its constituent assembly held in Abu Dhabi on 8 and 9 May 2018, approved its founding charter and strategic objectives that stem from the correct understanding of the Islamic religion and keenness on the elements of the national state by building a modern intellectual system that respects religious sentiment and protects societies from extremism, takfirism, and hatred. 

He explained that a code of honour should be reached for East and West media professionals in order to reformulate media vocabulary that is not objective in dealing with the global south issues, some of which are characterised by arrogance and hatred.

He praised the role played by the Group of Strategic Vision (Russia - the Islamic World), especially with regard to its media group, by organizing important forums for media professionals from the Islamic world and Russia to search for common opportunities to cross into a better future.