THE INFORMATION AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE, AN AFFILIATE OF THE ORGANIZATION OF ISLAMIC CONFERENCE, BEGAN ITS DELIBERATIONS HERE TODAY UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF PRESIDENT OF SENEGAL ABDOULAYE WADE. IYAD BIN AMEEN MADANI, MINISTER OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION, LEADS SAUDI ARABIA'S DELEGATION TO THE MEETING. IN A KEY ADDRESS, WADE UNDERSCORED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE MEETING WHICH HE SAID WAS CONVOKED AMID SERIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMPLICATED CHALLENGES, NOTABLY THE BIASED CAMPAIGN AGAINST ISLAM. HE CALLED ON THE COMMITTEE TO FORGE THE APPROPRIATE MECHANISMS TO CONFRONT THE ANTI-ISLAM MEDIA ATTACK. SENEGAL HAS PUT THE FINAL TOUCHES TO HOST THE 11TH ISLAMIC SUMMIT IN MARCH 2008, HE TOLD THE COMMITTEE. THE FIERCE HATRED OF ISLAM BY NON-MUSLIMS HAS INSPIRED THE CALL FOR AN ISLAMIC CHRISTIAN DIALOGUE TO BE HOSTED BY DAKAR SOON, HE DISCLOSED. THEN THE MINISTERS OF CULTURE AND INFORMATION OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVES REVIEWED THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
