PESHAWAR, July 26: NWFP Information Minister Asif Iqbal Daudzai has said that Muslims have a rich cultural heritage.

He said it was a matter of concern that the Muslim culture had been invaded by the Western media. The onslaught, he added, should be countered.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the screening of Iranian films at the Khana-i-Farhang here on Monday, he said that the West had made inroads into the local culture. People have forgotten their own culture and values and have adopted Western culture. The only was out of the situation, he said, was to promote the Islamic culture.

"It is extremely unfortunate that our young generation misuse the modern information technology. On contrary, the people in the West use it to their advantage," he added.

Mr Daudzai said that it was the need of the hour to counter the West-inspired propaganda against Islam through production of films which could portray the true culture of Islam.

Appreciating the role of Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan for the Ummah, he appealed that other Muslim countries should also join forces to counter the propaganda unleashed by the anti-Islami forces.

"The responsibility to send the message across the globe about the Islamic values and culture rest with the people related to media, who needed to come forward and play their part to highlight our own traditional, social and cultural norms," he said.

The Iranian Culture Centre screened the first film on Monday, which attracted a lot of audience. The film "Wisaal" revolved around the tragic incident of Karbala.

On the occasion the director-general of the Iranian Culture Centre, Raeisossadat, said that a total of 50 Persian films with Urdu dubbing would be screened on Sundays. They, he said, depicted the Iranian culture, history, social and traditional norms.

He said that Iran had 75 cultural centres across the globe, of which Peshawar centre happened to be the most dynamic, because of the unflinching support of the people as well as the government.

He lamented that before the advent of the Islamic revolution, the Iranian films were infamous for obscenity and vulgarity, which in no way served the purpose of Islam. After the revolution in Iran, like other matters, the films also saw a change, whereby the vulgarity and obscenity was replaced by the true Islamic culture.

"It is a clear testimony of the high class production, that our films have received several international awards. The lighting, acting and songs etc., of our films are liked by all sundry," he claimed.