The article discusses “OIC failed to achieve its objectives. OIC; A Failed Organisation. Irrelevance of OIC in global political scenario. Causes of OIC failures. Organization of Islamic Cooperation and its failures. OIC failed to achieve its objectives.”

Organization Of Islamic Cooperation – OIC Failed To Achieve Its Objectives

Organization of Islamic Cooperation, formerly known as the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), was established on September 25, 1969. The basic idea behind the establishment of the OIC was to create a platform through which the Muslim world could not only propagate its combined point of view on certain matters but also take united action. Unfortunately, in the five decades since its creation, the organization has failed on every front and has not achieved its objectives.

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Objectives Of OIC

The primary objective behind the creation of the organization was to establish a platform that represents and propagates the united voice of the Muslim world on certain social or political matters—as reflected in its slogan, “The collective voice of the Muslim world.” Other objectives include safeguarding and protecting the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony.

Kashmir Issue And Role Of United Nations

Examples Of OIC Failure

Despite more than fifty years having passed, the organization still remains in its infancy and has failed to achieve its objectives on many fronts. Some major examples of the failures of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation are given below.

Palestine Issue: Since 1948, the Palestine issue has required united and decisive steps from the Muslim world for its resolution. Such steps can only be taken through the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. In this regard, unfortunately, the organization has blatantly failed to take any meaningful action.

Kashmir Issue: Like the Palestinians, the people of Kashmir have always looked to the organization for moral and political support. However, the organization has never regarded it as a serious issue and has never taken any significant steps toward their right to self-determination. The Saudi-led OIC, due to its economic ties with India, has consistently taken a back-foot stance on the Kashmir issue.

Rohingya Muslims’ Genocide: In 2016–2017, the Myanmar government initiated a planned genocide of Muslims to reduce their population, particularly in the Rakhine State. With the backing of India, the Myanmar government massacred thousands of innocent Muslims and raped hundreds of women. However, aside from issuing a few statements, the organization failed to take any practical measures to protect their rights. The reason for this silence was, once again, the economic interests of member states—particularly Saudi Arabia—in the region. In order to maintain their economic ties with India, Saudi Arabia and other prominent member states of the organization remained silent on the issue.

Causes Of OIC Failures

There are many reasons responsible for the organization’s inactivity and failure. Some of these are discussed in the following paragraphs.

Arab-Ajam Division: Although the organization was meant to ensure the welfare and protection of the rights of Muslims worldwide, it has, at its core, been divided into two major ethnic groups: Arabs and Ajams. Muslims who belong to the Middle East and speak Arabic are considered Arabs, while the rest of the Muslim world is categorized as Ajam. Since the organization is led and funded primarily by Arab countries—particularly Saudi Arabia—it takes a keen interest in matters that directly or indirectly harm Arab interests, especially those of Saudi Arabia. Consequently, the OIC takes little or no interest in the Palestine issue due to political and ideological differences between Saudi Arabia and Palestine.

Pakistan’s Islamism And India’s Secularism Are Dreams Unfulfilled

Centre of Influence: Since the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) heads and funds the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the organization works according to its interests. Whenever the interests of KSA—and those of other major member states—are threatened by a particular matter, the organization turns its back on the issue and remains silent and inactive. For example, in the case of the Kashmir issue, the organization has remained silent throughout most of the atrocities committed by the Indian army in the Kashmir Valley, simply because KSA does not want to jeopardize its trade relations with India.

Individual Interests Of The Member States: The organization sometimes remains divided on certain matters due to differences in opinion among the member states. Sometimes these differences are based on genuine concerns, but more often they arise from individual interests, with differences being amplified by mere speculation to halt the organization’s action. In this way, member states secure their own interests in particular matters.

Objectives, But No Action: Although the organization has clearly defined its objectives, its actions suggest that it effectively has none. This is primarily due to the Arab-Ajam division, KSA’s control, and the individual interests of its member states.

Lack Of a Military Wing: The organization lacks a military wing that could translate its words into action. In 2015, Saudi Arabia formed the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC) to combat terrorist groups such as ISIL (the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant). Although most participants in the IMCTC are members of the OIC, it is not the organization’s military wing.

Powerful West: The influence of the powerful West is also a factor in the organization’s failure. The West—particularly the United States of America (USA)—exerts its influence on the organization through member states that are, in one way or another, dependent on the USA and the West. For example, most Arab countries rely on the West for oil trade, while some Ajam countries depend on the USA for economic relief.

Lackluster Actions: Last but not least, the organization’s lackluster actions have also contributed to its failures, as it has repeatedly failed to put its words into action.

Conclusion

The OIC is an important international organization, second only to the United Nations (UNO), with 57 member states. It was meant to be a powerful association of Muslim countries capable of protecting Muslim interests and securing their rights worldwide. Unfortunately, due to the reasons mentioned above, the OIC has failed to achieve its objectives.

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