Editor’s note: The following perspective from representatives of the Muslim Council of Elders—a nongovernmental organization aimed at promoting “peace in the Muslim communities”—is published in connection with the upcoming International Day of Human Fraternity.
Ethical journalism is vital to a better future. Our organization was founded with the aim of fostering greater global peace, cooperation and tolerance. And we’re encouraged when diverse media the world over contribute to those ends. But we are also aware of how media can be an obstacle to healthy coexistence and human fraternity. In the absence of a universal code of ethics and with the prevalence of prejudice and discrimination in societies, too often mass media is a tool for spreading hate and division.
In various countries, we have witnessed media practices that go against the protection of the rights of minorities, refugees and displaced peoples, and those who are vulnerable and marginalized. Such practices become a force for deepening hatred and stigmatizing certain groups in society. This happens if the media engages in incitement and fear mongering, which can eventually give rise to violence.
Two of the world’s great religious leaders — Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders Professor Ahmed Al Tayeb — signed the Document on Human Fraternity on Feb. 4, 2019, in Abu Dhabi. Since then, it has become a priority for the Muslim Council of Elders and the Higher Committee of Human Fraternity to work seriously on building and developing a pro-human fraternity model for media.
The Muslim Council of Elders is working on various initiatives in order to advance dialogue, mutual understanding and coexistence among leaders and followers of different faiths. The mission is always to provide an antidote to extremism, fanaticism and the rejection of others. Eventually, we hope that a culture of coexistence for the greater human family will prevail, with an emphasis on the belief that everyone should live together in this world as brothers and sisters.
The Muslim Council of Elders is helping the media sow seeds of peace and harmony in their coverage and portray diversity as a force to unite different parts of society, instead of portraying diversity as a threat. The council helps media professionals assume their responsibility to the common good through its “We Publish to Coexist” project and media conferences.
This year, the Muslim Council of Elders launched a new publishing initiative entitled ‘We Publish to Coexist’ at the London Book Fair. The initiative aims to publish 10 books in different languages with a focus on the areas of peaceful coexistence and human fraternity. It is part of the council’s efforts to promote dialogue and channel moderate voices and opinions to a wider audience of different backgrounds.
The Muslim Council of Elders also organized the Arab Media Convention for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi. The event explored the vital role of the Arab media in promoting human fraternity and tolerance — fundamental values in Islam — instead of violence and extremism, which some media falsely associate with genuine Islam.
One of the outcomes of the convention was the approval of the “Twenty Principles Charter — the Media Code of Ethics for Human Fraternity.” The charter, inspired by the Document on Human Fraternity, serves as a guide for media practices related to human fraternity. It also builds on the fundamentals of the professional and media codes of ethics developed by the media, press federations and companies worldwide. It is driven by the shared belief of press in the Arab world that all people are brothers and sisters and that media professionals should encourage this belief.
It is our hope that the charter will serve as a trusted guide and a code of ethics by which Arab and international media abide.
The 20 principles outlined in the charter include emphasizing the importance of freedom of expression and creativity as a fundamental human right without which media professionals cannot fulfill their responsibilities. Other principles include supporting the values of justice, equality and acceptance of the other, in addition to promoting integration and coexistence.
The charter further stresses that in support of the sanctity of human life, media professionals shall do nothing to promote war and violence that undermines human stability. It calls on the media to show solidarity with migrants and victims of war, conflict, terrorist crimes and natural disasters, and to rally public opinion at the national and international levels to call the world’s attention to their problems and their misery.
A recent survey that included 9,000 respondents worldwide, found that 61% of those surveyed said media coverage of religion is often stereotypical in nature, rather than protecting religions from being misrepresented. Such findings indicate that all faith-based organizations should link arms in the effort to help media professionals and media outlets to depict religion honestly and ethically.
Therefore, we also call on religious leaders, faith-based organizations and people of all religions to help hold the media accountable. This will encourage the media to produce more accurate and honest reports about religion. News coverage of religion should be taken seriously because it can impact every aspect of people’s daily life. Media has the potential to further spread a culture of human fraternity — a concept that is being put into practice to save the world from crises and conflicts.
Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam is secretary-general of the Muslim Council of Elders. Adama Dieng is the former United Nations under-secretary-general and special adviser of the secretary-general on the prevention of genocide.