Challenges for the OIC
Challenges for the OIC
Indonesia assumed the chairmanship of the Organization of
Islamic Conference (OIC) this week by calling on its 54 members
to tackle two major challenges facing the Islamic world: raising
the standard of living of Moslems, who make up quite a sizable
portion of the world's poor, and changing the perceptions in the
West that tend to equate Islam with terrorism and violence.
These challenges are additions to the perennial problems that
the OIC has had to deal with, such as supporting Palestinians'
quest for a homeland, bringing about a comprehensive and lasting
peace in the Middle East, helping the Moslems in Bosnia-
Herzegovina achieve a better future and solving many intra-OIC
conflicts. These and a host of other problems were discussed at
this week's OIC ministerial meeting in Jakarta, which winds up
today.
Lifting the welfare of the ummah (Moslem community) appears to
be the more ambitious of the two new challenges. But it is not
impossible, and probably is the more feasible one. As Minister of
Foreign Affairs Ali Alatas, chairman of this week's OIC
conference, has pointed out, the OIC already has some of the
institutions and mechanisms that could be used to promote intra-
OIC trade and investment cooperation. Trade and investment are
still the best means of promoting the welfare of poor and
developing countries which make up the OIC.
The OIC has policy-making bodies at the highest level. It has
established centers of cooperation in various fields and has the
Islamic Development Bank, making it the only group of developing
countries with its own bank. The organization has established a
trade preferential system, a long-term financing scheme and an
investment and export credit cooperation.
Indonesia's job as chairman is to encourage fellow members to
take full advantage of these facilities. They are not perfect or
complete, but they are sufficient to start with. New institutions
and mechanisms can be developed along the way as the need arises.
Presently, intra-OIC trade is put at a meager 10 percent of
its members' total trade volume. Historically, for practical
purposes, it was easier for OIC countries to trade with developed
countries. But now that OIC members' economies have become
diverse -- from the rich to the poor, and from the resource-based
to the industrialized ones -- it makes sense for them to start
trading with one another more vigorously. It's time that OIC
members put those statements of brotherhood and solidarity that
we hear so often at their meetings into action.
The second challenge -- improving the image of Islam -- is
more daunting. Changing an image and perception takes time, and
is next to impossible if they are based on prejudices. It is
still fresh in our mind how the American media tried to pin the
bombings in Oklahoma last year and the TWA flight this year on
Moslem groups. That kind of prejudice, rather than the reality of
Islam, underlies the West's perception to equate the religion
with terrorism and violence.
The reality of the Islamic world is far different from that
perceived by some people in the West. Islam by definition is a
religion of peace and tolerance. Fortunately, many leaders, such
as Prince Charles and U.S. President Bill Clinton, see that
reality, and this has helped to lead to greater understanding in
the West about Islam. Ultimately, changing perceptions and
prejudices could only come from within the West itself. There is
little that the Islamic world can do to change them, other than
continuing to spread the message of Islam.
The one-year tenure given to a chairman is hardly enough to
tackle the two major undertakings. It would be unfair to expect
results in 12 months. But Indonesia can at least lay down the
groundwork to set these projects on their way.