Organisation of the Islamic Conference

Organisation of the Islamic Conference منظمة المؤتمر الإسلامي (Arabic) Organisation de la Conférence Islamique (French)
Map of OIC member states (green) and observers (blue).
Headquarters		Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Official languages		Arabic, English, French
Membership		57 member states
Leaders
-	Secretary-General	Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu
Website http://www.oic-oci.org/

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an international organisation with a permanent delegation to the United Nations. It groups 57 member states, from the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia, Caucasus, Balkans, Southeast Asia, South Asia and South America. The official languages of the organisation are Arabic, English and French.

Contents 1 History and goals 2 Recent issues 2.1 Ninth meeting of PUOICM 3 Structure and organisation 3.1 The Islamic Summit 3.2 The Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers 3.3 The Permanent Secretariat 3.4 Standing Committees 3.5 Subsidiary organs 3.6 Specialised institutions 3.7 Affiliated institutions 4 The Secretary General of the OIC 5 Members 5.1 Membership attempts 6 Past Islamic Summit Conferences 7 Economy 8 Criticism 9 References 10 Notes 11 See also 12 Further reading 13 External links

History and goals

Since the nineteenth century, Muslims had aspired ideas of uniting their community to serve their common political, economic, and social interests. Despite the presence of secularist, nationalist, and socialist ideologies, in modern Muslim states, King Faysal of Saudi Arabia cooperated with other Muslim leaders to form the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. The formation of the OIC happened in the backdrop of the loss of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem. The final cause sufficiently compelled leaders of Muslim nations were to meet in Rabat to establish the OIC in May 1971.^[1]

According to its charter, the OIC aims to preserve Islamic social and economic values; promote solidarity amongst member states; increase cooperation in social, economic, cultural, scientific, and political areas; uphold international peace and security; and advance education, particularly in the fields of science and technology.^[1]

The flag of the OIC (shown above) has an overall green background (symbolic of Islam). In the center, there is an upward-facing red crescent enveloped in a white disc. On the disc the words "Allahu Akbar" are written in modern Arabic calligraphy.

On August 5, 1990, 45 foreign ministers of the OIC adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam to serve as a guidance for the member states in the matters of human rights.

Recent issues

The Parliamentary Union of the OIC member states (PUOICM) was established in Iran in 1999 and its head office is situated in Tehran. Only OIC members are entitled to membership in the union.^[2]

President George W. Bush announced on June 27, 2007 that the United States will establish an envoy to the OIC. Bush said of the envoy "Our special envoy will listen to and learn from representatives from Muslim states, and will share with them America's views and values."^[3] Sada Cumber became the US representative on March 3, 2008.

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference rejected ^[4] the Universal Declaration of Humans Rights ^[5] as not being consistent with Sharia Law. In its place, they supported the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam ^[6]. While many claim it is not an alternative to the UDHR, but rather complementary, Article 24 states "All the rights and freedoms stipulated in this Declaration are subject to the Islamic Shari'ah." and Article 25 follows that with "The Islamic Shari'ah is the only source of reference for the explanation or clarification of any of the articles of this Declaration."

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference on March 28 2008 added its voice to the growing criticism of the film 'Fitna' by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which features disturbing images of violent acts juxtaposed with verses from the Quran.^[7]

Ninth meeting of PUOICM

The ninth meeting of the Council of PUOICM was held on 15 and 16 Feb 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.^[8]. Speaker of Malaysia's House of Representatives, Ramli bin Ngah Talib, delivered a speech at the beginning of the inaugural ceremony. OIC secretary-general Prof Dr Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said prior to the meeting that one main agenda item is stopping Israel from continuing its excavation at the Western Wall near the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam's third holiest shrine.^[9] OIC is also discussing how it might send peacekeeping troops to Muslim states, as well as the possibility of a change in the name of the body and its charter.^[10] Additionally, return of the sovereignty right to the Iraqi people along with withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq is another one of the main issues on the agenda.^[11]

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri told reporters on 14 February 2007 that the Secretary General of OIC and foreign ministers of seven "like-minded Muslim countries" will meet in Islamabad on 25 February 2007 following meetings of President Musharraf with heads of key Muslim countries to discuss "a new initiative" for the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Kasuri said this will be a meeting of foreign ministers of key Muslim countries to discuss and prepare for a summit in Makkah Al Mukarramah to seek the resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict.^[12]

Structure and organisation

The OIC system consists of:

The Islamic Summit

The largest organ, attended by the Kings and the Heads of State and Government of the member states, convened every three years.

The Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers

It meets once a year to examine a progress report on the implementation of its decisions taken within the framework of the policy defined by the Islamic Summit.

The Permanent Secretariat

It is the executive organ of the Organisation, entrusted with the implementation of the decisions of the two preceding bodies, and is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The current secretary general of this international organisation is Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, from Turkey, since January 1 2005.

Standing Committees

• Standing Committee on Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC).
• Standing Committee on Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC).
• Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation (COMSTECH).
• Islamic Committee for Economic, Cultural and Social Affairs.
• Permanent Finance Committee.
• Financial Control Organ.

Subsidiary organs

• The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC), located in Ankara, Turkey.
• The Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), located in Istanbul, Turkey.
• The Islamic University of Technology, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• The Islamic Centre for the Development of Trade, located in Casablanca, Morocco.
• The Islamic Fiqh Academy, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• The Executive Bureau of the Islamic Solidarity Fund and its Waqf, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• The Islamic University In Niger, located in Say, Niger.
• The Islamic University In Uganda, located in Mbale, Uganda.

Specialised institutions

• The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), located in Rabat, Morocco.
• The Islamic States Broadcasting Organisation (ISBO) and the International Islamic News Agency (IINA), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Affiliated institutions

• Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), located in Karachi, Pakistan.
• World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
• Organisation of Islamic Capitals and Cities (OICC), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• Sports Federation of Islamic Solidarity Games, located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• Islamic Committee of the International Crescent (ICIC), located in Benghazi, Libya.
• Islamic Shipowners Association (ISA), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• World Federation of International Arab-Islamic Schools, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• International Association of Islamic Banks (IAIB), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation,(ICYF-DC)located in Istanbul, Turkey.
• General Council for Islamic Banks and Financial Institutions,(CIBAFI)located in Manama, Bahrain.

The Secretary General of the OIC

1. Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malaysia): (1971-1973)
2. Hassan Al-Touhami (Egypt): (1974-1975)
3. Dr. Amadou Karim Gaye (Senegal): (1975-1979)
4. Habib Chatty (Tunisia): (1979-1984)
5. Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada (Pakistan): (1985-1988)
6. Dr. Hamid Algabid (Niger): (1989-1996)
7. Dr. Azeddine Laraki (Morocco): (1997-2000)
8. Dr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz (Morocco): (2001-2004)
9. Prof.Dr. Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu (Turkey): (2005 to present)

Members

Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the "><" icon.

Country	Joined	Notes
Afghanistan, Islamic Republic of	1969	Suspended 1980 - March 1989
Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of	1969
Chad, Republic of	1969
Egypt, Arab Republic of	1969	Suspended May 1979 - March 1984
Guinea, Republic of	1969
Indonesia, Republic of	1969
Iran, Islamic Republic of	1969
Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of	1969
Kuwait, State of	1969
Lebanon, Republic of	1969
Libya, Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya	1969
Malaysia	1969
Mali, Republic of	1969
Mauritania, Islamic Republic of	1969
Morocco, Kingdom of	1969
Niger, Republic of	1969
Pakistan, Islamic Republic of	1969
Palestine, represented by the Palestine Liberation Organization	1969
Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of	1969
Senegal, Republic of	1969
Sudan, Republic of the	1969
Somalia	1969
Tunisia, Republic of	1969
Turkey, Republic of	1969
Yemen Arab Republic	1969	From 1990 as Republic of Yemen united with People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
Bahrain, State of	1970	From 2003 as Kingdom of Bahrain
Oman, Sultanate of	1970
Qatar, State of	1970
Syrian Arab Republic	1970
United Arab Emirates, State of	1970
Sierra Leone, Republic of	1972
Bangladesh, People's Republic of	1974
Gabon, Republic of	1974
Gambia, Republic of the	1974
Guinea-Bissau, Republic of	1974
Uganda, Republic of	1974
Burkina Faso	1975
Cameroon, Republic of	1975
Comoros, Federal Islamic Republic of the	1976
Iraq, Republic of	1976
Maldives, Republic of	1976
Djibouti, Republic of	1978
Benin, Republic of	1982
Brunei Darussalam, Sultanate of	1984
Nigeria, Federal Republic of	1986
Azerbaijan, Republic of	1991
Albania, Republic of	1992
Kyrgyzstan, Republic of	1992
Tajikistan, Republic of	1992
Turkmenistan, Republic of	1992
Mozambique, Republic of	1994
Kazakhstan, Republic of	1995
Uzbekistan, Republic of	1995
Suriname, Republic of	1996
Togo, Republic of	1997
Guyana, Republic of	1998
Côte d'Ivoire, Republic of	2001
Suspended or Withdrawn
Zanzibar	Jan 1993	Withdrew August 1993
Observer States
Bosnia and Herzegovina	1994
Central African Republic	1997
Northern Cyprus, Turkish Republic of (as Turkish Cypriot State)	1979	Official 2004
Thailand, Kingdom of	1998
Russian Federation	2005
Observer Muslim Organisations and Communities
Moro National Liberation Front	1977
Observer Islamic institutions
Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States	2000
Islamic Conference Youth Forum for Dialogue and Cooperation	2005
Observer International Organizations
League of Arab States	1975
United Nations	1976
Non-Aligned Movement	1977
Organization of African Unity	1977
Economic Cooperation Organization	1995

Membership attempts

---

•  India - India has the third largest Muslim population in the world (after Indonesia and Pakistan) and has shown an interest in joining the OICs as an observer nation. While India's candidacy is supported by several OIC members including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Iran and Egypt,^[13] some influential OIC members like Pakistan have blocked India's inclusion into the OIC. They argue that though India is home to more than 135 million Muslims, they form just over 13% of India's total population. (By comparison, Muslims form only 7.3% of Guyana's population, and no more than 15% of Russia's.)

•  Philippines - The Philippine government has made attempts to join the OIC, but this was opposed by the country's Muslim minority. Muslims make up only 5% (4.5 million) of the 90 million population in this predominantly Christian country (this estimate is disputed by the Bangsamoro people that put the Muslim population at 15 million).

Past Islamic Summit Conferences

Number	Date	Country	Place
1st	September 22 - September 25, 1969	Morocco	Rabat
2nd	February 22 - February 24, 1974	Pakistan	Lahore
3rd	January 25 - January 29, 1981	Saudi Arabia	Makkah Al Mukarramah and Taif
4th	January 16 - January 19, 1984	Morocco	Casablanca
5th	January 26 - January 29, 1987	Kuwait	Kuwait City
6th	December 9 - December 11, 1991	Senegal	Dakar
7th	December 13 - December 15, 1994	Morocco	Casablanca
1st Extraordinary	March 23, 1997	Pakistan	Islamabad
8th	December 9 - December 11, 1997	Iran	Tehran
9th	November 12 - November 13, 2000	Qatar	Doha
2nd Extraordinary	March 5, 2003	Qatar	Doha
10th	October 16 - October 17, 2003	Malaysia	Putrajaya
3rd Extraordinary	December 7 - December 8, 2005	Saudi Arabia	Makkah Al Mukarramah
11th	March 13 - March 14, 2008	Senegal	Dakar

Economy

Main article: Economy of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference

The OIC members have a combined GDP (at PPP) of USD7,840 billion. The highest GDP in OIC belongs to Turkey with a GDP exceeding USD900 billion. The richest country on the basis of GDP per capita is Qatar at USD62,181 per capita.

Criticism

Due to its passive reaction and inability to react in time to the world events involving Muslim states and Muslims, the OIC is sometimes satirically called "Oh! I See."^[14]

Thailand responsed harshly to OIC criticism of its battle within the Muslim majority provinces of Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat in the south of the country. In a statement issued on October 18, 2005 secretary-general Ihsanoglu vocalised concern over the continuing conflict in the south that "claimed the lives of innocent people and forced the migration of local people out of their places". He also stressed that the Thai government's security approach to the crisis would aggravate the situation and lead to continued violence. Thailand quickly rebuffed this criticism over its alleged heavy-handed policies. Then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra responded to the OIC Secretary General by saying: "I would like him to read the Qur’an, which stated clearly that all Muslims, regardless [of] where they live, must respect the law of that land." He asked, as in with Muslims killing each other in Iraq, "why don’t the OIC make statement of concern". The Thai Foreign Minister Kantathi Suphamongkhon went on to say: "We have made it clear to the OIC several times that the violence in the deep South is not caused by religious conflict and the government grants protection to all of our citizens no matter what religion they embrace. The Foreign Ministry issued a statement dismissing the OIC’s criticism and accusing it of disseminating misperceptions and misinformation about the situation in the southern provinces. "If the OIC secretariat really wants to promote the cause of peace and harmony in the three southern provinces of Thailand, the responsibility falls on the OIC secretariat to strongly condemn the militants, who are perpetrating these acts of violence against both Thai Muslims and Thai Buddhists."^[15][16]

India have also hit out at the OIC for supporting Pakistan's claims to a plebiscite in Kashmir. Further to this, during the 2008 Amarnath land transfer imbroglio the OIC's condemnation of the "ongoing excessive and unwarranted use of force against the Kashmiri people" was met by an Indian response that said: "The OIC has once again chosen to comment upon Jammu and Kashmir and India's internal affairs on which it has no locus standi...To call for international involvement in the sovereign internal affairs of India is gratuitous, illegal and only reflects reversion to a mindset that has led to no good consequences for Pakistan in the past."^[17].

References

Notes

• Al-Huda, Qamar. "Organisation of the Islamic Conference." Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World. Edited by Martin, Richard C. Macmillan Reference, 2004. vol. 1 p. 394. 20 April 2008
• Organization of The Islamic Conference. Islamic Summit Conference.

See also

Organization of the Islamic Conference
Economy GDP, GDP/capita, Exports, Imports Education

• Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
• Islamic University of Technology
• International Islamic Relief Organization
• List of Organisation of the Islamic Conference member states by population
• Abdullah O. Nasseef

Further reading

• Ankerl, Guy Coexisting Contemporary Civilizations: Arabo-Muslim, Bharati, Chinese, and Western. Geneva, INUPress, 2000, ISBN 2-88155-004-5

External links

• Official The Organisation of the Islamic Conference
• Official Islamic Conference with documents and information from the latest Summit (Arabic, English, French)
• Official Permanent Delegation of the OIC to the United Nations
• Official The Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (SESRIC)

• October 18 2003: speech from Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad speech at the 10th OIC Summit
• September 14 2001: statements from the Organisation of Islamic Conference

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