Pakistan, OIC, and Challenges of the Muslim world
By: Usama Malik
Tags: International Development, Muslim World, Pakistan, Latest, International Relations

This article deals with Pakistan’s role in the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) and especially the challenges faced by Muslim ummah. OIC is the product of the creative thought of Muslim unity in modern settings, with Islamic viewpoints. Palestine, Afghanistan, Afghanistan, and terrorism are still waiting for solutions, while many futile efforts have been made on the podium of OIC. The strength, Muslims have, is their one faith and natural resources. Pakistan, due to its strategic and geographical location, plays an important role in the Islamic world. Any decision for the fate of the conflict in the Islamic state can, directly or indirectly, affect Pakistan.

Kashmir is a Himalayan region in the north of the Indo-Pak sub-continent. It is claimed by both India and Pakistan. The Kashmir issue has to be resolved according to the UN resolution, says the UN. The issue of Kashmir is intensely discussed in many conferences of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) OIC has been a forum of strong and credible political and economic support to Pakistan on the issue. The meaningful struggle can only be done without the proper funds and assistance at a huge level. The problem of Kashmir began when the Red Clif Boundary Commission gave the Muslim-dominated region of Gawaderspour to India and bestowed it a land way to enter Kashmir. It has always been the policy of the Pakistani Government that the issue has been resolved according to the resolution. The UN resolution was signed on 26th October 1947, but Kashmir has remained a source of conflict between India and Pakistan. The current Kashmir conflict has been raging since the Indian invasion of the region in a disputed Kashmiri region of the state in the early 1980s. The region is now a flashpoint between Indian troops and Pakistani troops. The Pakistani government and the Indian government are at odds over control of Kashmir. Pakistan secured response from international organizations especially OIC in the form of resolutions and verbal support on the issue of Kashmir. OIC extended strong and unanimous support to Pakistan on all issues of concern. The OIC has three Jammu & Kashmir-related Summits and three Ministerial resolutions. The resolutions expressed the Islamic world’s solidarity with the Government of Pakistan and the Kashmiri people in their struggle for their right to self-determination. The resolution called for a peaceful settlement of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute per the United Nations Security Council. The U.N. Security Council has called on India to immediately end the violence in Indian Held Kashmir.

The Arab Spring has seen violent clashes between Israel and Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza, and Israel. Pakistan has called for the establishment of a just and durable peace in the Middle East. The Palestinian people have the right to an independent and sovereign state of their own in their homeland, the ambassador says. The Organization of Islamic Conference has played a significant role in the issue of Palestine, the ambassador adds. The role of Muslim countries is very crucial in this crucial in the resolution of the conflict in the Mideast, he adds. The situation in the region is jeopardizing international peace and security calling for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Arab lands and the non-aligned national rights of the Palestinian people. The issue has been a source of conflict between the Muslim world and Israel since the start of the Six-Day War. According to the reports, the violence has increased in recent months.

Terrorism is fast on the rise. Many members of the OIC are involved in or falling victim to terrorist activities. OIC should take serious measures to preach the true concept of Islamic teachings. It has become a major challenge for OIC to portray the true image of Islamic religion and culture. The foreign powers should also respect the sovereignty of their member states and not exploit their resources and peace, he says. The U.S. should not find any weapon in Iraq but even then they inflicted heavy loss on the country ruining its people, he writes. The US-led forces attacked the pretext of the presence of the weapons of mass destruction, U.N. inspectors could not stop it, he adds. The biggest issue is one of the biggest challenges is highlighted everywhere in media and all multilateral bodies are making efforts to eliminate it, writes Zain Verjee. The OIC is providing zero or no support to its member countries in terms of support to their member countries.

OIC over a period of years has emerged as the sole spokesman of the Muslim Ummah that presents 57 nations on the world globe. Indeed, the Organization has not lived up to the expectations of Muslims. It was unfortunate that most international issues were linked directly or indirectly to the Muslim world, the role of OIC was hardly there. The Organization should look into all aspects of its reform and restructuring and make recommendations for OIC’s reform, he says. The challenges are as they were four decades ago, he writes. The challenge is now to get OIC to act in a manner that is in sync with the contemporary world, he adds. The OIC has had a disappointing record and needs to change its ways, writes Ghaffar Hussain, a former member of the Organization of the Islamic Republic of Islam in the Middle East. He calls for the Organization to reform and reform the organization's structure in terms of ideological policies and reform. The writer is a graduate of the International Studies Program at the University of the West Bank and of the London School of Oriental and African Studies, where he studied from 1987–1992. He says the Organization should reform its reform, restructuring, and reform its structure and policies to make it more representative of Muslim countries. OIC should follow in the footsteps of the EU and the Council of Europe. OIC should develop a mode to act practically worldwide.