Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, formerly the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, is an intergovernmental organisation founded in 1969. It consists of 57 member states, 48 of which are Muslim-majority. The organisation claims to be "the collective voice of the Muslim world" and works to "safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony".
OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. Its official languages are Arabic, English, and French. It operates affiliated, specialised, and subsidiary organs within the framework of OIC Charter.
Member states had a collective population of over 1.8 billion as of 2015, accounting for just under a quarter of the world's population. The collective area is 31.66 m km2.
History
On 21 August 1969, after the Al-Aqsa mosque fire in Jerusalem, Amin al-Husseini, the former Mufti of Jerusalem, called for a summit of all Muslim heads of state. The fire destroyed part of the old wooden roof and an 800-year-old pulpit. The arsonist was an Australian Christian fundamentalist Denis Michael Rohan. On 25 September 1969, representatives of 24 Muslim majority countries met in Rabat, Morocco. A resolution was passed stating that Muslim governments would henceforth strive for close cooperation and mutual assistance in economic, scientific, cultural and religious endeavors.In March 1970, the First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. In 1972, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference was founded.
While the al-Aqsa fire is regarded as one of the catalysts, many Muslims aspired to a pan-Islamic institution that would serve the common political, economic, and social interests of the ummah beginning in the 19th century. In particular, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Caliphate after World War I left a vacuum.
According to its charter, the OIC aims to preserve Islamic social and economic values; promote solidarity amongst member states; increase cooperation in social, economic, cultural, scientific, and political areas; uphold international peace and security; and advance education, particularly in science and technology.
The OIC emblem contains three main elements that reflect its vision and mission as incorporated in its Charter: the Kaaba, the Globe, and the Crescent.
On 5 August 1990, 45 foreign ministers of the OIC adopted the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam to provide guidance in matters of human rights in as much as they are compatible with Sharia.
The Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States was established in Iran in 1999, and its head office is situated in Tehran. Only OIC members are entitled to membership in the union.
In March 2008, the OIC revised its charter to promote human rights, fundamental freedoms, and good governance in member states. The revisions removed any mention of the Cairo Declaration. Within the revised charter, the OIC supported the Charter of the United Nations and international law, without mentioning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
On 28 June 2011, during the 38th Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Astana, Kazakhstan, the organisation changed its name from Organisation of the Islamic Conference to its current name. The OIC also changed its logo at this time.
According to the UNHCR, OIC countries hosted 18 million refugees by the end of 2010. OIC members continued to absorb refugees from other conflicts, including 2011 uprising in Syria. In May 2012, the OIC addressed these concerns at the "Refugees in the Muslim World" conference in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
On 27 June 2007, then-United States President George W. Bush announced that the United States would delegate an envoy to the OIC. Bush said of the envoy, "Our special envoy will listen to and learn from representatives from Muslim states, and will share with them America's views and values.", Arsalan Suleman is acting special envoy. He was appointed on 13 February 2015. In an investigation of the accuracy of a series of chain emails, Snopes.com reported that during the October 2003April 2004 session of the General Assembly, 17 individual members of the OIC voted against the United States 88% of the time.
Members
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has 57 members, 56 of which are also member states of the United Nations. The exception is Palestine. Some member countries-Ivory Coast, Guyana, Gabon, Mozambique, Nigeria, Suriname, Togo and Uganda are not Muslim-majority. Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Central African Republic, Thailand, Russia, and Northern Cyprus are observer states, and other organisations and groups participate as observers.Syria’s OIC membership was suspended on 14–15 August 2012, because of the government’s use of heavy weapons against civilians and its refusal to engage in peaceful dialogue. On March 7, 2025, Syria officially restored a full membership after the fall of the Assad regime.
Africa
Asia
Europe
Americas
Positions
''Fitna''
The OIC, on 28 March 2008, joined the criticism of the film Fitna by Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders, which features disturbing images of violent acts juxtaposed with alleged verses from the Quran.Houthis
In March 2015, the OIC announced its support for the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Shia Houthis.Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The OIC supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.The OIC calls for a boycott of Israeli products in an effort to pressure Israel into ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories.
At a 2013 meeting in Conakry, Guinea, Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said that foreign ministers would discuss the possibility of cutting ties with any state that recognised Jerusalem as the capital of Israel or that moves its embassy to its environs.
At a December 2017 extraordinary meeting held in response US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem, the "Istanbul Declaration on Freedom for Al Quds". was adopted.
In September 2019, the OIC condemned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to annex the eastern portion of the occupied West Bank known as the Jordan Valley. In January 2024, the OIC expressed support for South Africa's ICJ genocide case against Israel.
India
is the second-largest religion in India after Hinduism. Over 200 million Muslims constitute approximately 15% of the country's population. India has the largest Muslim population other than Muslim-majority or Islamic states. However, India's relationship with Pakistan, has featured hostilities and armed conflict since the 1947 Partition of India. The poor relationship between them impacted India–OIC relations due to Pakistan's status as a founding member. India pushed for the OIC to accept it as a member state, arguing that Indian Muslims comprise 11% of the world's Muslim population; Pakistan has staunchly opposed this.Pakistan cites its conflict with India over the Kashmir region as its rationale. It frequently accuses India of perpetrating human rights abuses against Kashmiris in the Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The region has experienced an ongoing militant uprising since the 1980s. The OIC has been urged to press India on the Kashmir dispute, and has faced pushback from Indian officials for occasional references to Jammu and Kashmir. Historically, the Muslim world has largely lent its support to Pakistan on the issue.
The first OIC summit held in 1969 in Rabat did not address the dispute, while granting India membership was discussed. The head of the Indian delegation addressed the summit. The erstwhile President of Pakistan, Yahya Khan, reportedly expressed mixed views. The Indian delegation, led by then Indian President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad, was scheduled to attend the summit but ultimately was not allowed in due to Pakistan's controversial boycott threat. Differences between the two states led Pakistan to keep India out for the final session of the 1969 conference and all OIC subsequent summits.
2019 Pulwama attack and India–Pakistan standoff
On 14 February 2019, a suicide-bombing attack by a Muslim militant in Jammu and Kashmir killed over 40 Indian soldiers, for which responsibility was claimed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist group. In March 2019, India conducted airstrikes in Pakistani territory, which subsequently led to the 2019 India–Pakistan military standoff.After these events, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj was invited to participate in an OIC summit. However, Pakistan protested this development and demanded that India be blocked from the event, accusing the latter of an unprovoked violation of Pakistani airspace while Indian officials claimed that the strike was carried out on terrorist-training camps. Following requests by Pakistan shortly after the 14 February attack, the OIC held an emergency meeting on 26 February. The organisation subsequently condemned India's military response to the attack and advised both sides to exercise restraint.
For the first time in five decades, the United Arab Emirates invited India as a "guest of honour" to attend the inaugural plenary 46th meeting of OIC foreign ministers in Abu Dhabi on 1 and 2 March 2019, overriding protests by Pakistan. In response Pakistan boycotted the meeting. Indian Foreign Minister Swaraj headed the Indian delegation at the summit.
On 18 April 2020, OIC issued a statement, urging the Modi administration of India to take urgent steps to "stop the growing tide of Islamophobia", citing attacks by Hindu nationalists against Indian Muslims and the allegation against Muslims of spreading COVID-19 in the country.