Symposium in Tehran: Syria moving ahead in restoring stability, elections will embody Syrians’ will

During the activities of the 7th Conference of Islamic Radio and Television Union in Tehran, a symposium was held on Sunday on the crisis in Syria and the upcoming presidential elections.

Syria’s Ambassador in Tehran, Dr. Adnan Mahmoud, said that the battle in Syria is an ethic and ideological battle against the takfiri terrorist mentality, adding that the awareness of the Syrians and their adherence to their choices was the cornerstone in Syria’s strength and steadfastness, in addition to the sacrifices of the Syrian Army and the role of the friendly countries.

Dr. Mahmoud said the media war waged against Syria aims at distorting facts and marketing the takfiri terrorist mentality as to shift attention from the national and pan-Arab causes, on top of which is the Palestinian Cause.

“The elections in Syria will embody the will of the Syrians and their priorities in an atmosphere of freedom,” he said.

In Turn, Secretary-General of the Syrian Arab New Agency (SANA), Ahmad Dawa, said Syria is witnessing a terrorist war not a sectarian one.

He said that Syria is targeted for its stances in support of the resistance axis in the region, adding that the decision to target Syria came after the failure of the Israeli aggression on Lebanon in July 2006 and was carried out with the purpose of undermining the resistance and enhancing Israel’s security.

Dawa said the Syrian people, army and leadership are resolved to face and eradicate terrorism and reconstruct what the terrorists had sabotaged.

“The presidential elections will be carried out on all of the Syrian soil, the Syrians will vote for their candidates in accordance with the democratic standards and under total supervision of the Syrian judiciary,” he concluded.

Earlier, The 7th Conference of Islamic Radio and Television Union was launched Sunday in the Iranian capital city of Tehran under the title “Awakening Media… The Voice of Resistance and Confrontation against Sectarian Sedition.”

Over 220 members from 36 countries and 300 TV and Radio channels from various Islamic countries are taking part in this conference, in addition to Syria.

Iranian President Hassan Rohani said during the opening of the conference that the West is attempting to grab the Islamic communities and the confrontation today is represented through the confrontation of identities.

Rohani stressed that communications constitute part of the national capacity of each country for reaching its voice, pointing out that the Islamic world cannot be delayed in the race of news and the use of modern technologies for influencing the public opinion, which is not an option anymore but a priority.

The Iranian President urged all to be responsible in this historic sensitive stage and to get ready for waging a big cultural battle in the world of communications, pointing out that media outlets do not only reflect the image but also they create and produce it.

He called for the solidarity of the Islamic world media in order to produce independent media followed by the world instead of attending media presented by the West according to its inclinations in a way that distorts the youth’s mentality, stressing the importance that the Islamic media outlets be of high credibility.

“The West does not want the Islamic world to get comprehensive development; it wants to impose consumerism on us, as it possesses many of influential factors on the public opinion… Our war in the world of communications is to preserve the future generations” he added.

The Iranian President clarified that media outlets interfere everyday in every life aspect, pointing out that we need to prepare ourselves and mobilize our capabilities for a big battle in the world of communications. “There are groups that spread terrorism worldwide under the name of Islam, and it is regretful that the UN has not ratified Iran’s imitative on spreading moderation and countering terrorism” he added.

Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said in a televised message addressed to the Conference Syria has never ever changed, pointing out that it will remain firm and an example to follow in Arabism, Islam, justice and freedom.

Al-Zoubi added “Syria is undergoing the biggest campaign of falsification of facts, incidents and events as no state in the world has ever witnessed as such, through broadcasting intensive volumes of images and news items and preventing its national media from appearing on satellites, including the Nilesat and Arabsat,” he added.

“Syria is struggling with all its capacities, based on your direct support on media forums, to show the reality as it is and to expose what is taking place in it and the attempts of destroying the structure of the state, institutions, army and the culture of resistance,” he said.

He pointed out that Syria is undergoing huge economic sanctions and a war of terrorism fueled by intelligence circles and Arab and regional states backed by the USA and other European states.

The Minister said that Syria is helped by its friends, allies and partners in its efforts to lay bare the political and economic pressures imposed on it for more than three years directly- and for more than forty years indirectly – through attempts at devastating its industrial, trade and financial structure and its infrastructure.

The Minister made reference the armed terrorist groups’ attacks on health, power and education institutions, in addition to religious sanctuaries, which are aimed at effacing Syria’s cultural identity.

He pointed out that Syria will remain by Iran’s side in support of its just issues, and it will continue to support Iraq and all the Muslims all over the world, noting that the Palestinian issue will stay the central cause. The conference is scheduled to discuss the political situation in the region and topics relevant to media outlets, the soft war and the role of the Islamic and the modern media in that.

The conference is also expected to focus on the Palestinian issue and the national resistance , in addition to the latest developments in Syria, the danger of a sectarian sedition and the Takfiri groups and means of eliminating them.

Syria is represented in the conference by Director-General of the Syrian Arab News Agency Ahamd Dawa in the presence of the Syrian Ambassador to Tehran Adnan Mahmoud.