التحالف الإسلامي يطلق «إعلاميو السلام» في مقديشو لتعزيز جبهة المواجهة الإعلامية ضد الإرهاب

With the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the high-level presence of government, security, and military leaders in the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism launched the strategic initiative in the media field "Peace Journalists" in the capital Mogadishu. This initiative aims to build national media capacities capable of confronting extremist discourse, hate speech, disinformation campaigns, and terrorist propaganda in the digital space, and to enhance the role of media as an active partner in protecting security and establishing community peace.

The launch ceremony was attended by the Minister of Defense and Commander of the Somali Army Ahmed Maalim Fiqi, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Alliance, Major General Pilot Muhammad bin Said Al-Muqaydi, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Security, the Minister of Endowments and Religious Affairs, the Minister of State for Ports and Maritime Transport, the Head of the National Security Office, in addition to the Police Chief, the Director of Prisons, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Deputy Head of Intelligence and National Security, and a number of officials and leaders concerned with combating terrorism.

This high-level official, security, and media presence reflects the strategic importance of the initiative and the integration of roles in combating terrorism, in light of the rapid transformations in the methods of extremist organizations, which no longer rely solely on field terrorist operations but have begun to use the digital space as a platform for influence, disinformation, recruitment, and spreading hate speech.

The "Peace Journalists" initiative is part of the efforts of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism aimed at building the capacities of member states and fortifying their intellectual and media environments, enhancing the ability of media institutions and journalists to expose extremist propaganda, confront misleading information, and produce professional content capable of competing and influencing.

The initiative includes a specialized training program titled "Analyzing Extremist Discourse and Hate Speech in Digital Media... Tools and Techniques for Smart Confrontation," targeting 40 trainees from journalists, media professionals, academics, and specialists in media fields related to combating terrorism.

In his speech on the occasion of the launch of the "Peace Journalists" initiative, the Minister of Defense of the Federal Republic of Somalia affirmed that combating terrorism cannot be limited to military and security efforts alone but requires building a responsible and conscious media discourse that contributes to fortifying communities, confronting disinformation, recruitment, and extremist propaganda, and establishing values of moderation and coexistence.

He pointed out that Somalia views media as a national partner in protecting national security and building community peace, appreciating the role played by the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in developing national capacities and preparing qualified media personnel and enhancing the efficiency of member states in various fields of combating terrorism.

The Federal Republic of Somalia continues to be an active and supportive partner in collective efforts to combat terrorism and dry up its intellectual, media, and financial sources, contributing to the protection of communities and enhancing security and stability.

For his part, the Secretary-General of the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism, Major General Pilot Muhammad bin Said Al-Muqaydi, confirmed that the launch of the "Peace Journalists" initiative in the Federal Republic of Somalia comes as an extension of the Alliance's approach to transferring the impact of joint work to member states and transforming cooperation in combating terrorism into qualitative programs and initiatives that build national capacities and support communities in confronting extremist thought and discourse.

Al-Muqaydi explained that terrorist organizations no longer fight their battle solely in the field but have begun to operate intensively in the media and digital space, benefiting from the rapid spread of information and the expansion of digital platforms in disseminating disinformation, producing propaganda, influencing public opinion, and attempts at recruitment, which makes the professional and aware journalist a frontline defense in the system of combating terrorism.

He noted that the "Peace Journalists" initiative seeks to transition journalists from mere information transmitters to active professionals who possess tools for analysis, verification, exposure, and confrontation, capable of analyzing digital content, identifying sources of disinformation, exposing fake accounts, coordinated influence operations, and understanding methods of extremist propaganda, ultimately leading to the construction of counter-narratives and alternative stories that are more professional, impactful, and credible.

The Secretary-General emphasized that combating terrorism is as much a battle of awareness as it is a battle of security and the field, pointing out that investing in building the capacities of journalists represents a direct investment in the immunity of communities and their ability to confront extremist ideas and attempts at intellectual and media infiltration.

Major General Al-Muqaydi appreciated the cooperation of the Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia and its support for implementing the Alliance's programs and initiatives, affirming the Alliance's continued work with member states and partners according to a comprehensive vision aimed at enhancing national capacities, exchanging experiences, and achieving integration in the fields of combating terrorism, including intellectual, media, and military efforts.

Participants in the program will undergo specialized training on a range of modern tools and techniques, including information disorder systems, digital verification and open-source intelligence, image and video analysis, content spread analysis, identifying fake accounts and bots, discourse and textual content analysis, exposing coordinated influence operations, and network and link analysis.

The program also addresses the psychological and societal impacts of extremist discourse and hate speech, evidence-based solutions and interventions to confront harmful digital discourse, developing counter-narratives and alternative stories, and enhancing media and digital literacy and community resilience, providing participants with practical tools to deal with methods of extremism and propaganda in the digital environment.

The "Peace Journalists" initiative embodies the Islamic Military Alliance to Fight Terrorism's direction towards building a sustainable system to confront terrorism that goes beyond dealing with its consequences to addressing its intellectual and media tools and drying up its capacity for disinformation, recruitment, and polarization, placing media and awareness at the heart of the confrontation, thereby enhancing the security and stability of communities, making truth a tool of confrontation, awareness a fortress, and media a force for peacebuilding.