OIC needs to act as one force

Abdul Razak Ahmad, New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur

In between frantic bouts of interviews, the smokers among the hundreds of journalists covering the 10th OIC summit sought refuge at an open-air smoking area situated in the Putrajaya Convention Center.

Those who had run out of supplies took the opportunity to pinch a fag or two from friends who smoked the same brand, but several coughing fits later a general consensus was "adopted".

Burgers may taste the same everywhere but cigarettes from the same brand and manufactured in different countries have very little in common.

The irony holds true for the meeting of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) unfolding inside. Common may be the faith, but outlooks and aspirations of the 57 members can differ fundamentally.

Many of the criticisms about the "lethargy" of the OIC and its failure to act on pressing concerns facing the ummah (Islamic community) stem from these differences. The problems are many and are becoming more urgent.

Following Sept 11, 2001, Islam has been labeled as a religion that promotes terrorism. Iran is being threatened by the U.S. for allegedly developing nuclear weapons. Palestine remains under brutal occupation. Israel's aggression has now stretched into targets in Syria.

And Iraq, which fell to U.S.-led occupation forces following an invasion built on unproven premises, is in a quagmire.

Can the OIC's 57 members come together to do something effective to address these problems? The outlook is pessimistic.

Take Palestine. The liberation of the occupied territories was, and continues to be, a primary aim for the grouping.

The first summit in Rabat, Morocco on Sept. 25 1969, was in the wake of the arson perpetrated by Zionist elements against the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest shrine of Islam situated in occupied Jerusalem.

Summit after summit saw declarations condemning the occupation, all to no effect.

In the 1991's sixth OIC Summit in Dakar, Senegal, a furious Yasser Arafat stormed out of the hall accusing the organization members of "betraying" the Arab cause. Yet the Dakar declaration issued at the end of the summit affirmed the resolve of members to prepare for jihad (holy war) to liberate the occupied lands.

But 12 years on and three OIC summits later and there is still no jihad (in any sense of the word).

Adding insult to injury, Arafat is unable to attend the OIC summit this time around. He is trapped in his headquarters, and no one apart from Israel and the U.S. can do anything about it.

It could have been desperation that prompted an irate Palestinian delegate to declare that the armed struggle in the occupied lands would continue as it was the only solution to ending the occupation.

On Iraq, the U.S.-led invasion proved that no grouping, including the OIC or even the United Nations, was able to stop the U.S.' determination to invade the country.

OIC secretary-general Abdelouahed Belkeziz may have set the tone for the upcoming stand of the Putrajaya Summit by calling for a clear Islamic commitment to evict foreign troops from Iraq, but where would that place the three OIC members who allowed the U.S. to use their military bases for attacks on Iraq?

It may be unrealistic to wish for perfect unity among OIC members, when none of the other national groupings, such as the United Nations, can achieve it.

Many OIC members have national interests that at times override their allegiance to the OIC. Others are members of other groupings whose interests may not be in line with the OIC.

Trying to find solutions in the face of all these differences is a Herculean undertaking which many say is next to impossible.

There is some optimism that perhaps the OIC, under the chairmanship of Malaysia, will be able to bring about some much needed change and make the grouping more effective and action- based.

But as some among the smoking fraternity of journalists at the Putrajaya Convention Center have painfully found out, overt similarities can sometimes conceal many fundamental differences.

Bridging them will be the real challenge for Malaysia as it assumes the chairmanship of the grouping and hosts the OIC summit this time around.