Organization of Islamic Conference - Essay Example

Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Table of Content S.No. Page No Introduction to the organization 2 2 Establishment of the OIC 2 3 Framework of the OIC 3 4 Member States 4 5 Primary Objectives of the OIC and the extend to which they are achieved 6 6 Actions taken by the OIC 7 7 Raison D'etre of the OIC 8 8 Major issues surrounding the organizations and some highlighted weaknesses 9 9 An outlook of the future 10 10 Works Cited 11 Organization of Islamic Conference Introduction to the organization The OIC is the world's second largest inter-governmental organization next to the United Nations, on behalf of a population of 1.3 billion people, almost one fifth of humanity. Furthermore, the OIC countries stand for a substantial portion of the developing countries, possessing momentous human and material resources, brain power and manpower, as well as having a considerable prospective for production and trade. At the same time the Muslim world with its enormous Islamic Nation which has been one of the main representatives in the structure of a universal Nation besides producing a wealthy and multifaceted tradition that has withstood the assessment of time and sealed its strength despite the failure of the Muslim world in the 20th century at keeping velocity with modern progress in science and technology. Establishment of the OIC The Organization was established in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, on 12 Rajab 1389H (25 September 1969) when the First meeting of the leaders of the Islamic world was held in this city in the rouse of the unlawful arson perpetrated on 21 August 1969 by Zionist fundamentals against Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied Jerusalem. 1 It was certainly in order to secure the honor, dignity and faith of the Muslims, to face this inconsiderate challenge launched in the holy city of Al-Quds so dear to them and against the Mosque of Al-Aqsa, that the leaders of the Muslim world, at their Summit in Rabat, held that event, which brought about unanimous worldwide denunciation and reprobation, to think together of their common cause and congregate the force required to overcome their differences, unite and lay the foundations of this large grouping of States, that is, the Organization of the Islamic Conference which they commended, in absolute precedence, with liberating Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa from occupation. After that, the meeting of Heads of State and Government constitute the highest policy making organ of the OIC. The Summit Conferences enable the leader of the Islamic world to periodically review the conditions within the Islamic world as well as the entire spectrum of international political developments from an Islamic perspective. Organization of the Islamic Conference - OIC "Six months after that historical meeting, i.e. in Muharram 1390H (March 1970), the First Islamic Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs held in Jeddah set up a permanent General Secretariat, to ensure a connection among Member States and charged it to synchronize their action. The Conference appointed its Secretary General and chose Jeddah as the Headquarters of the Organization, in anticipation of the liberation of Jerusalem, which would be the permanent Headquarters."2 Framework of the OIC Four dedicated institutions have been set up within the framework of the OIC, namely, The Islamic Development Bank; The Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization; the Islamic States Broadcasting Organization and the International Islamic News Agency. The general secretariat of the OIC has permanent viewer status at the United Nations and maintains its headquarters in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The Doha Declaration (November 2000) called for an end to the occupation in Palestine and invited those member states that had traditional relations with the State of Israel to "put an end to all forms of normalization with Israel until it authentically and exactly implements U.N. resolutions relevant to the issue of Palestine. " The Kuala Lumpur Statement on International Terrorism, issued during the extraordinary session of the Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers in April 2002, rejected "any effort to link Islam and Muslims to terrorism" and condemned acts of international terrorism, highlighting "the consequence of tackleing the root causes of international terrorism." Member States A list of member states is provided. The reason to provide this list in the paper is to shed light on the countries which are currently its member. A greater insight of various political and economic scenarios of the member countries can enable us to understand better the overall status of the organization. The following states are the members of the OIC: Islamic State of Afghanistan Republic of Chad Republic of Albania Union of Comoros People's Democratic Republic of Algeria Republic of Djibouti Republic of Azerbaijan Arab Republic of Egypt Kingdom of Bahrain Republic of Gabon People's Republic of Bangladesh Republic of The Gambia Republic of Benin Republic of Guinea Brunei-Darussalam Republic of Guinea-Bissau Burkina-Faso (then Upper Volta) Republic of Guyana Republic of Cameroon Republic of Indonesia Islamic Republic of Iran Republic of Iraq Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Republic of Kazakhstan Malaysia State of Kuwait Republic of Maldives Kyrghyz Republic Republic of Mali Republic of Lebanon Islamic Republic of Mauritania Kingdom of Morocco Federal Republic of Nigeria Republic of Mozambique Sultanate of Oman Republic of Niger Islamic Republic of Pakistan State of Palestine State of Qatar Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Republic of Senegal Republic of Sierra Leone Republic of Somalia Republic of Sudan Republic of Tajikistan Republic of Suriname Republic of Togo Syrian Arab Republic Republic of Tunisia Republic of Turkey Republic of Uzbekistan Turkmenistan Republic of Yemen Republic of Uganda Republic of Cote d'Ivoire State of the United Arab Emirates 3 "Economic power is the reality of the day. Barring a handful Muslim countries, majority of Muslims are living below the poverty line. As long as Muslim countries remain poor and underdeveloped they will not only fail to give their citizens a decent life but would also count for little in terms of international politics. But why is it that most Muslim countries fail to free themselves from the shackles of poverty The classical answer given by the "blame others" school is that Muslims have received a raw deal from the Western powers. No, it is the leaders that have to take blame of this. Especially, the spiritual leaders".4 The Muslim countries require an original display of economic, social and political modifications. The most urgent need of the Muslim world is a division of the mosque and the state. However, anyone familiar with Islamic theology and politics would know, this is a fabricated problem. What the Muslim world needs is a division of business from the state, which means the creation of an authentic private sector exclusive of which no modern market economy is possible. Primary Objectives of the OIC and the extend to which they are achieved "The primary goals of the OIC are, according to itself, "to promote solidarity among all member states; to consolidate cooperation among member states in economic, social, cultural, scientific, and other fields of activity; to endeavor to eliminate racial segregation and discrimination and to oppose colonialism in all its forms; to support the Palestinian people in their struggle to regain their national rights and to return to their homeland; and, to support all Muslim people in their struggle to safeguard their dignity, independence and national rights."5 Certain primary objectives on the charter of the OIC are further discussed below. These objectives were achieved to certain extend under some cases however a wider implication is still remains to be obtained. Islamic solidarity among Member States: This has barely been achieved. The Islamic States have been fighting with each other (Iran and Iraq), and some have become under profession. Namely, Iraq and Afghanistan. There are differences between the Islamic States. Libya, an Arab State does not enjoy good relationships with Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Even in Algeria, the Muslims are fighting for their privileges, with their fellow Muslim leaders. Collaboration in the political, economic, social, cultural and scientific fields: There has been periodic co-operation in this field. The Standing Committee for Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC), Standing Committee for Scientific and Technical Cooperation (COMSTECH) and Standing Committee for Economic and Trade Cooperation (COMCEC), subsist, but need to play an active role. The struggle of all Muslim people to safeguard their dignity, freedom and national rights: The organization failed to address the problem of occupation of Iraq. Actions taken by the OIC The OIC aims to coordinate certain measures to ensure action towards: Safeguard the Holy Places: The holy places of Muslims are still under profession, and the necessary coordination is yet to be seen for protection of the holy places. Even the country that took guide in creating OIC (Morocco) has violated the charter by acknowledgment of Israel. Well there are also countries like Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Qatar, who have done the same thing. The Al-Quds agency subsists on paper, for looking after the above charter. Needs to become energetic. Support the great effort of the Palestinian people and help out them in recovering their rights and healing their occupied territories. The moral and financial support for the Palestinian people is there, but retreating day by day. The freedom of occupied territories looks miserable as day passes. Raison D'etre of the OIC The organization is currently working for the following raison d'tre: Eliminate racial discrimination and all forms of colonialism: The prejudice among Muslims is present. We are pronged as Arabs and non-Arabs and Sunni and Shiia. The eradication has not been feasible. And the colonialism in form of Iraqi occupation is in front of us. The people of Kashmir are under Indian occupation Create a constructive environment for the promotion of support and understanding between Member States and other countries. OIC has supplied a forum to the member states for co-operation. But, this opportunity needs to be capitalized. The evaluation of charter does not generate a picture of an exhilarating OIC. With this backdrop, the leaders from 57 Muslim countries are planned to gather in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, from Oct. 16 to 18, for the 10th summit of the OIC, the entire suggestions are that the meeting is going to observe quite a bit of diplomatic fireworks. "During the last several years there has been an increasing trend of large-scale refugee movements due to the changing nature and complexity of conflicts in the post-Cold War period. In addition, a rapid rise in the number of actors responding to humanitarian crises has been witnessed. UNHCR has also enhanced its partnerships with a number of agencies, including those in the United Nations system, and other international and regional organizations, in an effort to ensure effective action and coordinated responses to refugee crises. The use of Memoranda of Understanding in their various forms, including Letters of Understanding, Cooperation Agreements and Exchanges of Letters, has served to further UNHCR's global efforts to strengthen partnership and cooperation to assist refugees."6 In case it is going to be an accustomed OIC summit, which has a hallmark of futile gatherings where exercises in oratory and meaningless resolutions are presented as substitutes for measured judgment. Fingers of blame will be pointed, making the owners of the fingers feel good without having to face the arduous task of serious analysis and sober policy-making. But the question remains, would the Kuala Lumpur summit be an implement in futility The answer is, it should not. The status of Muslims of the world require that their leaders sit together to develop a vision 2050 for themselves. The Muslims of today are in disarray. OIC is the only hope of reviving the past of the Muslims, and putting them into the driving force of the world. The charter needs to be reviewed, and given a practical look for the vision 2050. 7 Major issues surrounding the organizations and some highlighted weaknesses OIC need to build up a sensible approach for solving the problems of Muslim world. A medium agent needs to be taking the lead role of the organization. The summit host, Mahathir Mohamed, Malaysia's prime minister, can be the person. He recently said, "I am interested in what we, as Muslims, can do for ourselves." This is the first approach that needs to be taken. Another vital matter OIC is facing is the reason of its existence - to safeguard the holy cities and liberate Jerusalem. In the present scenario, it is unlikely that the OIC will be capable to do so, unless it develops an Islamic army able to defeat Israel. Most Muslim nations have danced around the matter for decades. They have not determined whether they wish to work for the obliteration of Israel or to admit it, even as a bitter pill to swallow. That double strategy has affected a no-peace-no-war condition of which the principal sufferers have been the Palestinians. OIC member states need to adopt an agreed approach in dealing with Israel. Either admit it as a reality or fight to get rid of it. The two-way procedure is hurting the interests of the Muslim world. Another serious issue at the controls of the OIC would be the occupation of Iraq. The OIC wants to build up a policy that in future such aggressions are not permitted - Upcoming may be against Syria, and Iran. An outlook of the future For future, OIC should not only take part in a dynamic role in economical, cultural, political, and scientific development, but also ultimately originate Islamic armed forces capable of deployment in peace and against aggression. An Islamic union at the pattern of the European Union should be the vision 2050 for OIC, and Dr. Mahathir has the capability to spur the Islamic countries in formulating such a union. However, with the current state of affairs and the weaknesses and challenges that are faced by the OIC, such a vision still seems like a dream. Works Cited Organization of the Islamic Conference - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organization_of_the_Islamic_Conference Accessed April 1, 2006 Organization of Islamic Conference - Vision for 2050 http://www.ilaam.net/Opinions/OICVisionFor2050.html Accessed April 1, 2006 Press Release http://www.oic-oci.org/press/english/old/November%202005/sg-vienna.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) http://www.vic-info.org/InternationalOrganizations/IO-OIC.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Overview http://www.oic-un.org/about/over.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Islumic Sumit - Organizer http://www.islamicsummit.org.sa/en/7.aspx Accessed April 1, 2006 OIC Ministerial Conference on the Problems of Refugees in the Muslim World http://www.oic-oci.org/english/conventions/refugees-conf.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Final Communique Of The Fifteenth Islamic Cowfbrence Of Foreign Ministers http://www.oic-oci.org/english/fm/15/15%20icfm-final-en.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Organization of the Islamic Conference - OIC http://www.arab.de/arabinfo/oic.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Specialized Bodies http://www.oic-oci.org/english/main/specialized_bodies.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Activities http://www.oic-oci.org/english/main/member-States.htm Accessed April 1, 2006 Read More