ROLE OF O.I.C AND CHALLENGES TO THE MUSLIM UMMAH (5) Posted on 29 July 2014 at 01:45 It should emphasize the need to gain self respect and self sufficiency through the economic cooperation .Malaysia is an example of the economic miracle that shows that it is possible if sectarian and ethnic differences are forgotten and a nation becomes united.cohesive force is established which develops each and every sector of the economy proportionally. Moreover,in today’s globalized world,economic strength determines the status and clout of a country in the international community . Thus ,OIC should encourage economic regional integration and developments through common markets,customs unions and free trade agreements.It should promote endeavors for institutionalized cooperation between OIC and UN,Islamic Development Bank,World Bank,WTO and G8.It should address poverty eradication through measures such as capacity building human development and employment etc. Once all these internal issues are addressed and well implemented by OIC the biggest external challenge of Islamophobia of west and its consequences can easily be overcome.OIC being an organization of the Muslim countries can hold dialogue with the West instead of confrontation. It can check the tendency of a fringe within the Ummah to resort to terrorism and violence through various means including persuading the west to address the root causes of terrorism rather than war against terrorism,intensifying coordination within OIC for combating terrorism,and above all encouraging interpretation of Islam which emphasizes peace and non violence.In view of misperception of Islamic world,OIC institutions such as media can play an important role and project Islam as peaceful and tolerant religion. To sum up,the post 9/11 the conventional wisdom is that an organization is as strong as its members wish it to be.The gathering storms over Muslims societies should alert the Muslim leadership and they must respond to the changing world with alacrity and imagination or else they will be consigned to oblivion and the OIC will remain at best,a footnote in contemporary political history.
