OIC needs to act as one force<\/p>\n
Abdul Razak Ahmad, New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
In between frantic bouts of interviews, the smokers among the
\nhundreds of journalists covering the 10th OIC summit sought
\nrefuge at an open-air smoking area situated in the Putrajaya
\nConvention Center.<\/p>\n
Those who had run out of supplies took the opportunity to
\npinch a fag or two from friends who smoked the same brand, but
\nseveral coughing fits later a general consensus was \"adopted\".<\/p>\n
Burgers may taste the same everywhere but cigarettes from the
\nsame brand and manufactured in different countries have very
\nlittle in common.<\/p>\n
The irony holds true for the meeting of the Organization of
\nthe Islamic Conference (OIC) unfolding inside. Common may be the
\nfaith, but outlooks and aspirations of the 57 members can differ
\nfundamentally.<\/p>\n
Many of the criticisms about the \"lethargy\" of the OIC and its
\nfailure to act on pressing concerns facing the ummah (Islamic
\ncommunity) stem from these differences. The problems are many and
\nare becoming more urgent.<\/p>\n
Following Sept 11, 2001, Islam has been labeled as a religion
\nthat promotes terrorism. Iran is being threatened by the U.S. for
\nallegedly developing nuclear weapons. Palestine remains under
\nbrutal occupation. Israel's aggression has now stretched into
\ntargets in Syria.<\/p>\n
And Iraq, which fell to U.S.-led occupation forces following
\nan invasion built on unproven premises, is in a quagmire.<\/p>\n
Can the OIC's 57 members come together to do something
\neffective to address these problems? The outlook is pessimistic.<\/p>\n
Take Palestine. The liberation of the occupied territories
\nwas, and continues to be, a primary aim for the grouping.<\/p>\n
The first summit in Rabat, Morocco on Sept. 25 1969, was in
\nthe wake of the arson perpetrated by Zionist elements against the
\nAl-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest shrine of Islam situated in
\noccupied Jerusalem.<\/p>\n
Summit after summit saw declarations condemning the
\noccupation, all to no effect.<\/p>\n
In the 1991's sixth OIC Summit in Dakar, Senegal, a furious
\nYasser Arafat stormed out of the hall accusing the organization
\nmembers of \"betraying\" the Arab cause. Yet the Dakar declaration
\nissued at the end of the summit affirmed the resolve of members
\nto prepare for jihad (holy war) to liberate the occupied lands.<\/p>\n
But 12 years on and three OIC summits later and there is still
\nno jihad (in any sense of the word).<\/p>\n
Adding insult to injury, Arafat is unable to attend the OIC
\nsummit this time around. He is trapped in his headquarters, and
\nno one apart from Israel and the U.S. can do anything about it.<\/p>\n
It could have been desperation that prompted an irate
\nPalestinian delegate to declare that the armed struggle in the
\noccupied lands would continue as it was the only solution to
\nending the occupation.<\/p>\n
On Iraq, the U.S.-led invasion proved that no grouping,
\nincluding the OIC or even the United Nations, was able to stop
\nthe U.S.' determination to invade the country.<\/p>\n
OIC secretary-general Abdelouahed Belkeziz may have set the
\ntone for the upcoming stand of the Putrajaya Summit by calling
\nfor a clear Islamic commitment to evict foreign troops from Iraq,
\nbut where would that place the three OIC members who allowed the
\nU.S. to use their military bases for attacks on Iraq?<\/p>\n
It may be unrealistic to wish for perfect unity among OIC
\nmembers, when none of the other national groupings, such as the
\nUnited Nations, can achieve it.<\/p>\n
Many OIC members have national interests that at times
\noverride their allegiance to the OIC. Others are members of other
\ngroupings whose interests may not be in line with the OIC.<\/p>\n
Trying to find solutions in the face of all these differences
\nis a Herculean undertaking which many say is next to impossible.<\/p>\n
There is some optimism that perhaps the OIC, under the
\nchairmanship of Malaysia, will be able to bring about some much
\nneeded change and make the grouping more effective and action-
\nbased.<\/p>\n
But as some among the smoking fraternity of journalists at the
\nPutrajaya Convention Center have painfully found out, overt
\nsimilarities can sometimes conceal many fundamental differences.<\/p>\n
Bridging them will be the real challenge for Malaysia as it
\nassumes the chairmanship of the grouping and hosts the OIC summit
\nthis time around.<\/p>",
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