The Organization of Islamic
Cooperation was established in 1969 in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco to promote and
consolidate the unity and solidarity among the Member States, improve trade,
protect member states and solve their problems. Containing of 57 member states,
it is the second largest organization after United Nations. Here I will try to
examine whether and why OIC failed to achieve their aims and goals.
The Charter of OIC has explained and addressed their
goals very clearly, but in practices you can hardly or rarely see what they
have written. Article 27 in chapter 15 of the charter says “The Member States,
parties to any dispute, the continuance of which may be detrimental to the
interests of the Islamic Ummah [community] or may endanger the maintenance of
international peace and security, shall seek a solution by good offices,
negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, judicial settlement
or other peaceful means of their own choice. In this context good offices may
include consultation with the Executive Committee and the Secretary-General.[1]”
During the 43 years long history of OIC, they have not only fail to “seek a solution”
but also not included such vital issues in their agenda.
During the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan in
late 1979, OIC did not react to condemn or force Soviet Union, but what they
did was to suspend Afghanistan membership in OIC and called Afghanistan as
puppet regime. They neither “sought a solution” nor played any constructive
rule in Iraq and Iran war or so-called Persian Gulf War. They did not thing
while Iraq attack Kuwait except condemning and demanding withdrawal of Iraq
troop and then it was UN who took collective action against Iraq. After 9/11
attacks, which OIC condemned by declaring a statement, when United States came
up with a decision to attack Afghanistan, OIC just declared, “United States
should not target other countries in its campaign against terrorism”[2]. Under
the pretext of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), when United stated imposed
war against Iraq in 2003, OIC “call for
diplomacy to be given more time”[3],
and did nothing else. During the Arab-unrest, It was a NATO to force Libya
government not to kill their residents. The current unrest going on in Syria,
Arab League is more active and trying to impose sanctions against Syria, but
OIC has been neglected or failed to play such role.
Beside these, regarding the Palestine, as mentioned
in the charter preamble that member states determined “to support the struggle
of the Palestinian people, who are presently under foreign occupation, and to
empower them to attain their inalienable rights, including the right to
self-determination, and to establish their sovereign state with Al-Quds
Al-Sharif as its capital, while safeguarding its historic and Islamic
character, and the holy places therein.[4]”
But Palestine has yet to exercise the sovereignty. Palestine territory is being
gradually occupied, and civilians are being killed. The Palestine issue was the
core among others for OIC and it was somehow a main incentive to encourage the
Muslim world to come up with an idea to establish an organization as Hasan
Moinuddin mentioned, “The first Islamic Summit Conference convened as a gesture
of Islamic unity in reaction to the profanation of Al-Aqsa [Mosque in
Palestine].”[5]
The notion of “promoting and consolidating the unity
and solidarity among the member states” in the
charter is another failure of IOC. If we analyze the invasion of Iraq in
2003, no great or emerging Muslims countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran tried
to come against the United States plan, even they supported it. The current
situation of Iran, No Muslims country tries to show or move against Israel or
their western alliance, paradoxically China, India and Russia are somehow
blocking them. These are due to the lack of credibility among OIC members.
Kuwait viewed Iraq as threat, Iraq viewed Iran as a threat while Iran and Saudi
Arabia – though they see each other as a rival – both viewed and were in
preparation against Iraq. A conflict in Darfur of Sudan is still erupting. Beside
that, in Southeast Asia, the two member and neighboring countries of OIC,
Malaysia and Indonesia still have their territorial conflicts. In South Asia
the OIC failed to prevent Pakistan from civilians massacre in Bangladesh in
1972 and yet to resolve the hidden conflict of Pakistan and Afghanistan over
Durand Line. As Sara Asif argues that the “the real strength [of Muslims world]
lies in unity[6]”
but the question is why the OIC failed so far to influence member countries to
strengthen the “noble Islamic values of unity and fraternity[7]”
for which OIC was created. Due to the lack of credibility and commitment to the
“Islamic Values” Sara Asif’s argument is quite reasonable to say “OIC has
generally failed to identify problems of a particular member state as a common
problem of the Muslim community” and overlook or neglect its role accordingly.
In administrative structure, OIC is quite similar
with United Nations. It consists; Islamic Summit, Council of Foreign Ministers,
Standing Committees, Executive Committee, International Islamic Court of
Justice, Independent Permanent Commission of Human Rights, Committee of
Permanent Representatives, General Secretariat, Subsidiary Organs, Specialized
Institutions, Affiliated Institutions. As Article 11 of the charter says; in order to advance issues of critical importance
to the organization and its member states, the organization has formed the
following standing committee: a) Al Quds Committee. b) Standing committee for
information and cultural affairs – COMIAC. c) Standing committee for economic
and commercial cooperation – COMCEC. But in practice it is quite different than
UN. Though OIC has not explicitly mentioned the name of Israel, but implicitly
they are unanimously agree not to have any tie with it. When Egypt signed peace
agreement with Israel in 1979, its membership was suspended. No any further
action has been taken against Egypt. That is why Hasan Moinuddin mentioned; it
is a “loose forum of consultation and cooperation”[8]
rather than an organization to impose sanction or play executive role.
It is important to mention that because of the
fragile credibility, the OIC could not change the name of “Conference” for
almost four decades. As the current secretary-general of OIC Ekmeleddin
Ihsanogle say the word “conference” did not reflect the reality of importance
of the Organization[9],
but in 2008 they agreed to replace the word “conference” by “Cooperation”. Beside
this, the OIC changed their charter and brought changes about core universal values,
like human rights, good governance, supremacy of law, empowerment of women, and
fighting against corruption. Though the current secretary-general told, “many
major changes will happen in the Muslim world in the positive direction[10]”,
but it is yet to know what those changes will be, and whether these changes
will be due to OIC or the inevitable globalization of the world.
It is a clear-cut fact that nowadays most conflicts,
disputes and convulsions are among Muslims countries; nevertheless OIC is
largely neglected either by United Nations, great power, and relevant sovereign
states. If we take the case of Syria, both United Nations and the great powers,
mostly give a vital rule to Arab League or Arab League by itself is playing a
main rule. Both United Nations and great power or Arab League might fairly and
rationally decided or reached to the result that OIC is no longer a vital
player. So, better to trigger or mobilize the one who is capable and can play.
But in term of members, Arab league is quite smaller than OIC, or in the other
world, OIC is the second largest organization.
The general perception regarding the declining or has
already been declined capability of OIC particularly in the Muslims world is
quite right. But the question ‘despite the continuation of declining, OIC has
yet to change their current approach to handle or regulate general consensus of
member states’ still does not have positive answer. No great change in OIC
since the establishment, except some minor changes in the charter after 2008
has been occurred.
The question, along with
broad memberships, committees, administrative staff, ‘why OIC fail to achieve
their goals’ may have various dimensions to answer. The lack of hegemonic power
or alliance among OIC members may have weakened them. United States as
hegemonic power and its implicit alliance with European countries might be a
clear reason of UN, but so far as we see, the rivalry relation of the emerging
power in Muslims countries like Iran against Saudi or overall against the Arab
world, has further weakened their future. Though relation of the leading
Muslims country, Turkey, is quite friendly with other, and Pakistan also have good
relations with other OIC member countries, but generally OIC still suffers from
rivalry among its members.
The punishment and reward system and lack of
commitment to the notion of OIC is low to the degree that member countries pay
less or no attention. In case of Egypt when a peace agreement was signed with
Israel, as mentioned before OIC suspended their membership, no strike action,
like sanction or threaten, which would have forced Egypt to change the
decision, was taken.
To identify their single member country’s problem and
take it seriously is another weak point of OIC. In the past as mentioned before
in case of Afghanistan 1979 and 2001, Iraq 2003, and the current Iran nuclear
issues, OIC is quite silent. Definitely Iran feels isolated and loses their
trust, credibility and commitment toward OIC.
The more and great members they have, the stronger
OIC will be. But due to some bilateral problems between Pakistan and Indian,
Pakistan block membership of India and Moro National Liberation Front block
Philippine. So here someone can argue that the member countries give more
priorities to its national interest rather then be committed to OIC.
Inequality among member countries, particularly while
they behave each other, may have influenced general perception among not be so
committed and friendly toward each other. This case may be particularly for
Arab courtiers that they see themselves supreme in term of wealth, while they
view the rest African and South and Middles Asian as a lower class.
Conclusion:
Muslims countries may proudly see the OIC as a great
and largest organization. But due to some internal or bilateral problems among
or inside OIC and its members, it has overshadowed the great role of OIC.
Beside that, OIC has failed to apply the notion, under which they sat together
and established the organization, “to enhance Islamic values”. Since Islam gives
priority for brotherhood rather than border or territory, if they successfully apply
the single Islamic value of “unity” among the members, they can bolster their
declining status. To address Islamic world issues, the great or emerging power
in Islamic world; Turkey, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia and Indonesia,
should take leading rule or decision-making rule. They should take a problem of
a single country as a whole and deal with till to find a proper solution. This
solution should be in the frame of their charter and may pay cost where it
needs.
To enhance their influence over member countries, OIC
should develop trade relations among member countries and pave the way to sign
free trade agreement and remove or reduce economic or trade barriers in its
member states. So then, being as a member of OIC, may have enough value and
privilege, because they will enjoy free trade and less economic barriers. It
will be a good incentive for member countries and will play a good role for
enhancing of political and economic leverage of OIC and most of its member will
very hardly dare to breach the charter
or violate the notion of OIC. So then suspending a membership will both
economically and politically affect a relevant country.
[2] Overview and analysis of OIC, Forum for
Democratic Global Governance; http://www.fimcivilsociety.org/f/library/OIC_Overview_and_Analysis.pdf
[3]
BBC, Timeline: Organization of the Islamic Conference, Dec 26, 2010 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/country_profiles/1564339.stm
[5]
Moinuddin, Hassan, The Charter of Islamic
conference, Oxford 1987
[6]
Asif, Sara, Failures of OIC, The
News, Pakistan News Agency, http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=82877&Cat=6&dt=12/18/2011
[8]
Moinuddin, Hassan, The Charter of Islamic
conference,
[9]
Global observatory, Interview of Ekmeleddin Ihsanogle, Secretary-General of OIC
http://www.theglobalobservatory.org/interviews/238-interview-with-ekmeleddin-hsanolu-secretary-general-of-the-organisation-of-islamic-cooperation.html
[10]
Global observatory, Interview of Ekmeleddin Ihsanogle, Secretary-General of OIC
http://www.theglobalobservatory.org/interviews/238-interview-with-ekmeleddin-hsanolu-secretary-general-of-the-organisation-of-islamic-cooperation.html
