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.