Sobh Media Festival a testament to Iran’s support for Palestinian cause: OSBU official
By Sally Ahmed
Iran has long been a steadfast supporter of the Palestinian cause, according to an official with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Broadcasting Union (OSBU), who described the Sobh International Media Festival as a clear testament to this commitment.
Speaking to the Press TV website on the sidelines of the 3rd edition of the festival, Ahmad Al-Murtada, director of international relations at OSBU, commended the organizers of the Sobh International Media Festival for their dedicated focus on Palestine.
Al-Murtada was among the international guests at the third edition of the festival, which is organized by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) World Service.
The annual event aims to amplify voices and narratives often ignored in Western media, especially those associated with resistance movements that challenge imperialist powers.
“Iran has been a supporter of the Palestinian cause for a long time, and… it tries as much as possible to showcase this issue on a global level, and the Sobh Festival is a prime example of this,” he stated, referring to the special section on Palestine in the prestigious media festival.
Attending for the first time, Al-Murtada noted the festival had been “very well organized.”
“I believe the works that were presented and those that won were indeed very good and deserving of the awards they received,” he noted.
The OSBU official emphasized that Palestine remains the “central cause” of the union, highlighting the fact that the OIC itself was established in response to the 1969 arson attack on the holy al-Aqsa Mosque.
To foster cooperation among OSBU member countries in support of Palestine, he said the union recently opened its office in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
The purpose of this office is to monitor developments in occupied Palestine and provide timely updates to the union, allowing it to communicate these events to member countries and ensure that the Palestinian cause “remains the central cause for all Muslims.”
Al-Murtada further said the union presents annual awards that recognize outstanding films about Palestine, including both fictional works and documentaries.
He condemned the targeted killing of journalists in both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, asserting that the OSBU, together with its member countries, is actively working to convey the truth of Palestine to the world.
“We try as much as possible to support the journalists,” he noted.
According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Palestine is currently considered the most dangerous place in the world for journalists amid the Israeli regime’s genocidal war on Gaza.
Nearly 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing war, the majority of them women and children.
