HOUSE SPEAKER MARZUKI ALIE INAUGURATES MI’RAJ NEWS AGENCY

Marzuki Jakarta, 6 Shafar 1434/19 December 2012 (MINA) – Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) has been officially declared operational in a grand launching ceremony in Jakarta, Tuesday, after a two-month of soft operation following its establishment last October.

Indonesian House Speaker Dr. Marzuki Alie, concurrently President of Parliamentary Union of Islamic Countries (PUIC), inaugurated the newly established news agency in the presence of some ambassadors of Islamic countries in Jakarta and Indonesian Foreign Ministry’s Director General for Information and Public Diplomacy, A.M. Fachir.

In his statement, Dr. Alie said there had been unfair news reporting especially by the western media on the Islamic world and the Middle East and therefore he welcomed the emergence of MINA as a vehicle to convey the messages from the Islamic countries’ point of view.

“There have been unfounded news reports on the weapons of mass destruction (in Iraq),” Dr. Alie said, adding that this urgement had been made a raison d’etre for attack on the country which was widely reported by media in the prelude to the US-led western forces invasion of Iraq.

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The House speaker therefore expressed a hope that the emergence on MINA would help balance the news flows on the Islamic world and the Middle East issues as well as play its function as media that offers objective and trustworthy news reporting.

Dr. Alie supported MINA as an Islamic news organization platforming on justice in its reportage and be able to implement the very roles of media as an institution that informs, educates, entertains public in addition to its being a social control entity.

Meanwhile Director General Abdurrahman M. Fachir also welcomed the emergence of MINA onto the media scene. “With the presence of MINA, if it can accomodate the many aspirations, then it can be a tremendous power with which to support the struggle of Palestine,”

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Fachir said media had indeed played very substantial roles in bringing the messages of the plight of the Palestinian people and struggle, something that had somehow contributed to the accord of the Non-Member, Observer State Status to Palestine in the United Nations on 29 November 2012 in New York.

Fachir also said that the Indonesian government has been a strong supporter of Palestine for having its rights, including independence, in accordance with the preamble of the Indonesian Constitution which emphasizes that independence is the right of all nations.

“Indonesian will never open a diplomatic relation with Israel as long as Palestine has not been an independence state,” said Fachir, former Indonesian ambassador to Egypt.

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General Chairman of MINA, Muhyiddin Hamidy, in his statement said the MINA was established to become the “spokesman” of the Muslims in fighting injustice and delivering truthfulness, especially to the support of the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the independence of Palestine.

“In disseminating information, MINA brings the light of truth, justice, security, peace, honesty and trust according to the teachings of Islam,” said Hamidy.

He also explained that the presence of MINA is a follow up of the results of the international conference on the Liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque and Palestine Independence in Bandung, Indonesia, in July 2012.

The Jakarta-based MINA now has correspondents both in Indonesian cities as well as in Gaza, Palestine, Cairo, Yaman, Sudan. MINA has a non-profit, foundation legal status according to the Indonesia legal system. (L/R-002/R-003/R-006).

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)