REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BOGOR -- The Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs, Massoumeh Ebtekar, has exhorted mainstream mass media to pay more attention to the Islamic world and the problems faced by Muslims. She asserted that the situation in Palestine, Yemen and Myanmar is the oppression of the Islamic world.

"The media should address these issues and have an understanding of Islam," Ebtekar remarked in an exclusive interview with Antara News Agency in Bogor, West Java, Tuesday.

Ebtekar is in Bogor, West Java, to attend the High-Level Consultation of World Muslim's Scholars on Wasatiyyat (moderate) Islam (HLC-WS), which is taking place from May 1-3, 2018. The event was opened by President Joko Widodo at the Bogor Palace.

According to Ebtekar, the focus of mass media on issues in the Islamic world and the problems faced by global Muslims will be an awakening and help solve the crises.

She further emphasized the importance of holding meetings, as the world is facing issues of terrorism and aggression in the Islamic world, such as the ones in Palestine, Yemen and Myanmar.

"We have to choose between moderation and extremism, between security and insecurity, and between peace and war," the vice president said.

She asserted that the meeting of Muslim scholars and intellectuals from several countries, including Indonesia, in Bogor was important not only for the Islamic world but also for global peace.

"This is a significant event for the Muslim nations to engage in dialogue, address challenges and build an understanding of Islam," she noted.

Ebtekar was appointed by Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in August 2017. She is not a new name in the Iranian government. In the previous government, Ebtekar occupied the same position. During his administration, Rouhani, who is a moderate cleric, has included several women in his cabinet.

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