KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- The media in Islamic countries must cooperate to defend Islam and counter the vilification of Muslims as extremists and terrorists by the western media.

Al-Azhar University lecturer Dr Hasan Mohamad Wajeh said it was the responsibility of these media organisations to correct the inaccurate reports of their counterparts in the West which aimed to weaken the Muslim community.

"The American and Zionist media have been spreading untruths about Islam that many westerners now see Muslims in bad light and distrust them.

"So, the media in Muslim countries must strategise to correct the misperception and counter the untruths," he said in his paper entitled "Renewing and Current International Islamic Jurisprudence" presented at the 2008 World Al-Azhar Alumni Multaqa (Conference) here.

Hasan said the Arab countries had some 4,000 media bureaus to undertake the task by cooperating with each other.

"With such a big number, they can disseminate correct information about Islam and its followers far and wide."

He said the collaboration could be materialised through the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) which, among the others, had the role of protecting Muslims' well-being.

On another note, Hasan said Muslims including those in higher learning institutions needed not fear to voice their opinions at the global level if it were beneficial for Islam.

"Muslims should not feel small, a situation which often prevails among Muslim students when facing fellow students from other races in discourses," he added.

He suggested that more intellectual discussions be organised at the institutions of higher learning to produce outstanding Muslims at the international stage of discourse.

-- BERNAMA