Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC; Arabic: منظمة المؤتمر الإسلامي; Turkish: İslam Konferansı Örgütü; Persian: سازمان کنفرانس اسلامی; French: Organisation de la Conférence Islamique; Malay: Pertubuhan Persidangan Islam; Indonesian: Organisasi Konferensi Islam) is an inter-governmental organization with a Permanent Delegation to the United Nations. It groups 57 mostly Islamic nations in the Middle East, North, West and Southern Africa, Central Asia, Europe, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and South America. The OIC is dedicated to serving the interests of the world's estimated 1.4 billion Muslims.
History and goals
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."
The OIC was set up in Rabat, Morocco, on September 25, 1969 in reaction to an arson attack against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on August 21, 1969.
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 "Allah Akbar" are written in what appears to be modern Arabic calligraphy. (see Flag of the Organization of the Islamic Conference for more information)
On August 5, 1990, 45 foreign ministers of the OIC adopted the controversial Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam to serve as a guidance for the member states in the matters of human rights.
Structure and Organization
The OIC system consists of:
The Islamic Summit
The highest policy-making 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 Organization, entrusted with the implementation of the decisions of the two preceding bodies, and is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Current secretary is Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, from Turkey, since January 1 2005.
Standing Committees
- Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Committee.
- Standing Committee on Information and Cultural Affairs (COMIAC).
- Standing Committee on Economic and Trade 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, Social Research and Training Center for Islamic Countries, located in Ankara, Turkey.
- The Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture (IRCICA), located in Istanbul, Turkey.
- The Islamic University of Technology, located in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- The Islamic Center 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 of Niger, located in Say, Niger.
- The Islamic University of Uganda, located in Mbale, Uganda.
Specialized Institutions
- The Islamic Development Bank (IDB), located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
- The Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), located in Rabat, Morocco.
- The Islamic States Broadcasting Organization (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.
- Organization 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.
The Secretary General of the OIC
- H.R.H. Tunku Abdul Rahman (Malaysia): (1971-1973)
- H.E. Hassan Al-Touhami (Egypt): (1974-1975)
- H.E. Dr. Amadou Karim Gaye (Senegal): (1975-1979)
- H.E. Mr. Habib Chatty (Tunisia): (1979-1984)
- H.E. Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada (Pakistan): (1985-1988)
- H.E. Dr. Hamid Algabid (Niger): (1989-1996)
- H.E. Dr. Azeddine Laraki (Morocco): (1997-2000)
- H.E. Dr. Abdelouahed Belkeziz (Morocco): (2001-2004)
- H.E. Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (Turkey): (2005 to present)
Members
| Full members | |
|---|---|
| State | Year |
 Afghanistan |
1969 |
 Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of
|
1969 |
 Chad, Republic of
|
1969 |
 Egypt, Arab Republic of
|
1969 |
 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, State of
|
1969 |
 Yemen, Republic of
|
1969 |
 Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of
|
1969 |
 Senegal, Republic of
|
1969 |
 Sudan, Republic of the
|
1969 |
 Somalia, Democratic Republic of
|
1969 |
 Tunisia, Republic of
|
1969 |
 Turkey, Republic of
|
1969 |
 Bahrain, State of
|
1970 |
 Oman, Sultanate of
|
1970 |
 Qatar, State of
|
1970 |
 Syria
|
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 the
|
1996 |
 Togo, Republic of
|
1997 |
 Guyana, Republic of
|
1998 |
 Ivory Coast, Republic of
|
2001 |
| Observer States | |
 Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
1994 |
 Central African Republic
|
1997 |
 Northern Cyprus (Turkish Cypriot State)
|
1979 |
 Thailand, Kingdom of
|
1998 |
 Russia
|
2005 |
| Observer Muslim Organizations and Communities | |
| Moro National Liberation Front | 1977 |
| 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 has the second largest Muslim population in the world and has shown its interest in joining the OIC. While India's candidature is supported by several OIC members including Saudi Arabia, some influential OIC members like Pakistan have blocked India's inclusion into the OIC. They argue that though India is home to more than 175 million Muslims, they form just over 16% of India's total population. Another factor affecting India's induction into the OIC is the Kashmir dispute. The OIC supports Pakistani claim over the entire region of Kashmir. In turn, India reduced its support for the Arab cause and established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992.[1] Relations between India and OIC severed in 2001 when the latter criticised India for not doing enough to stop the alleged human rights violations against Muslims in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. India dismissed the allegation as baseless and Pakistani propaganda[2]. The Indian government no longer seeks OIC membership.
PhilippinesThe Philippine government has made attempts to join the OIC, but was opposed by its Muslim minority of the state. Muslims make up only 5% (4.5 million) of the 90 million population in this predominately Christian country.[3]
Past Islamic Summit Conferences
| number | date | country | place |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1969, September 22-September 25 | Morocco | Rabat |
| 2nd | 1974, February 22-February 24 | Pakistan | Lahore |
| 3rd | 1981, January 25-January 29 | Saudi Arabia | Mecca and Taif |
| 4th | 1984, January 16-January 19 | Morocco | Casablanca |
| 5th | 1987, January 26-January 29 | Kuwait | Kuwait City |
| 6th | 1991, December 9-December 11 | Senegal | Dakar |
| 7th | 1994, December 13-December 15 | Morocco | Casablanca |
| 1st Extraordinary | 1997, March 23 | Pakistan | Islamabad |
| 8th | 1997, December 9-December 11 | Iran | Tehran |
| 9th | 2000, November 12-November 13 | Qatar | Doha |
| 2nd Extraordinary | 2003, March 5 | Qatar | Doha |
| 10th | 2003, October 16-October 17 | Malaysia | Putrajaya |
| 3rd Extraordinary | 2005, December 7-December 8 | Saudi Arabia | Makkah Al Mukarramah |
See also
- Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam
- Islamic University of Technology
- International Islamic Relief Organization
External links
- Official The Organization of the Islamic Conference
- Official Islamic Conference with documents and information from the latest Summit (Arabic, English, French)
- UN Organization of the Islamic Conference
- April 14 2006: Intifada Conference In Tehran Has Multiple Objectives Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty
- December 12 2005: Guardian Unlimited - An extraordinary meeting Brian Whitaker
- April 15 2005: Dinar Standard - Is Intra-OIC Trade finally taking off?
- October 18 2003: speech from Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad speech at the 10th OIC Summit
- September 5 2003: Fredrick Töben Speaks at Iran's Intifada Conference National Vanguard
- September 14 2001: statements from the Organization of Islamic Conference
- May 26 2001: OIC Calls for Suspension of Ties with Israel CNN Archives