OIC: Time for reflection

The Muslim world has received both bad news and good news over the past several years. The bad news is that two Islamic countries were invaded by an outside force. More recently there was some good news: Shirin Ebadi, the now famous human rights activist from Iran, won the Nobel Peace Prize.

These two issues must be looming large as members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) meet in Kuala Lumpur.

The good news, obviously, is easier to take, save for some Iranian hard-liners who see the victory as secularist interference. Still, the fact remains that Ebadi is the first Iranian and the first Muslim woman to win the prize.

It is the bad news that the 57 member states attending the OIC summit are still grappling with. How could two of their members -- Afghanistan and Iraq -- be invaded by the United States and there was nothing the organization could do to prevent it. Why was the OIC unable to respond strongly enough to stop an outside power from forcing its will on two Muslim countries?

The answer, unfortunately, is clear.

The OIC has never been a monolithic body, despite the fact that it carries a singular Islamic banner. Its membership encompasses countries with often conflicting interests, to say the least. There are those OIC members that oppose U.S. policy, and others that seek to accommodate the U.S.

A loud and clear voice coming from such an organization is next to impossible. Not only do its members have different views about political and security issues, their economies range from oil-rich to dirt-poor.

Some of the member states' economies are resource-based, others are industrial-based and in different stages of growth. Their global trade is largely conducted with developed countries rather than among themselves. Their political systems range from authoritarian to democracy. On top of that, the organization has a backlog of hundreds of resolutions waiting for implementation.

Then there is the matter of who funds the OIC. Money for the organization comes from Saudi Arabia and the rich Gulf states whose interests are often close to those of the U.S.

It is clear that the organization first needs to settle the differences within itself. Will the OIC orient itself toward the interests of Muslim countries? If so, how will they accomplish this?

In short, the members of the organization need to streamline their views. Only then can the calls for revitalization be heeded. In the words of Smith Alhadar, a Middle East observer who was quoted in this paper on Wednesday, the OIC should empower itself in a way that it cannot be dictated by other countries, including the U.S.

As a first step, Alhadar suggested that member states must have a single definition of terrorism. Indeed, the OIC has tried for years to improve the tarnished image of Islam and cut the linkage between the religion and terrorism.

This was one of two main items on the organization's agenda when Indonesia chaired the OIC summit in 1996 -- the other being to raise the standard of living of Muslims the world over. But there is a long way to go before the organization can accomplish its noble goal of repairing the image of Islam.

In connection with this, it is encouraging to note President Megawati Soekarnoputri's message to the delegates attending the OIC Business Forum on Wednesday. She urged member countries to introduce changes and provide opportunities for their citizenry to grow as part of efforts to improve the image of Islam. Her statement fits well with one by Ebadi, who said this week that it was possible to introduce democracy to Muslim countries.