Week 12 : Role of OIC in highlighting and resolving the issues of Muslim World and Islamophobia

Role of OIC in highlighting and resolving the issues of Muslim World and Islamophobia

The Muslim world is currently facing a myriad of internal and external challenges. As far as the internal challenges are concerned, they are marked with deep social, political and sectarian cleavages coupled with ever burgeoning economic blues. Externally, the most pervasive challenge that the Islamic world is confronted with today is mushrooming islamophobia. Anti-Islam lobbyists have launched a nefarious campaign to undermine the swiftly growing influence of Islam by equating it with terrorism and intolerance. Therefore, Islam, its founder, and its adherents are repeatedly subjected to constant censure by the Islamophobes

Recent attempt of Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders to denigrate the holy prophet (SAW) through holding a cartoon contest is a testimony to the fact that Islamophobia is increasing at an exponential rate in the non-Muslim world, especially the west. In fact, it is a backlash to the rapid growth and widespread embracement of Islam generally in the world and particularly in Europe. A religious forecast for 2050 PEW Research concludes that the global Muslim population is expected to grow at a faster rate than the non-Muslim population. Therefore, anti-Muslim forces are employing all available resources to arrest the growth of Islam. Moreover, there is also a ubiquitous paranoia in the western world that Islam might replace their years-old political, social and economic entrenchments, and thereby put an end to their luxurious and immodest style of living

Sadly, the role of OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), to counter the negative propaganda against Islam has been quite dismal. It has abjectly failed to fulfill the aspirations of the Muslim ummah. It has done nothing worthwhile to effectively address the maladies that affect the Muslim nations in any tangible form and project the true image of Islam that is indubitably the very antithesis of what is being promoted by the anti-Islam forces. “A toothless paper tiger” this is how the OIC is dubbed by its critics. The main reason and objective for which OIC was established in 1969, was to safeguard and protect Muslim rights and interests globally have not been achieved.

Despite the fact that OIC member countries possess 70 percent of the world’s energy resources and 40 percent of the available raw material, their GDP is only 5 percent. Also, no Muslim country ranks highly on the Human Development Index.

Politically, it has been divided into two camps, there are countries belonging to western camp and the others that represent the conservative camp. A continuous struggle is being witnessed between these two divisions. The pro-west camp is keen to implement western political order whereas the opposite camp wants to adopt an Islamic political system. Religiously, Shia-Sunni schism has also created hurdles in the way of success of the OIC. The Muslims have never been able to raise themselves above this division and think in terms of acting like one ummah. This very situation prevailing in the Muslim world gives an opportunity to the enemies of Islam to further their vested interests by engaging Muslims to fight against their own Muslim brothers. The ongoing Shia-Sunni fight in most parts of the Muslim world is part of international intrigue orchestrated by Islamophobes.

Additionally, different forms of governments e.g. democracy, kingship, military rule etc are in practice in the Muslim world. Therefore, there is no coherence and harmony in the thinking of the rulers. Inefficient and incompetent leadership is also a major contributor to the failure of OIC. Except for Tayyab Erdogan, Mahathir Mohamad, and Imran Khan, we hardly find any other name in the Muslim world who can be called a leader.