Organisation of Islamic Cooperation The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC; Arabic: ; French: Organisation de Organisation of Islamic Cooperation la coopération islamique ), formerly the Organisation (Arabic) of the Islamic Conference, is an international Organisation de la coopération organization founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member islamique (French) states, with a collective population of over 1.8 billion as of 2015 with 53 countries being Muslim-majority countries. The organisation states that it is "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 Flag [1] harmony". Motto: "To safeguard the interests and ensure the progress and well-being of Muslims" The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union. The official languages of the OIC are Arabic, English, and French. Contents History Al-Aqsa fire Member states Islamic Conference Observer states Goals Suspended states Refugees Administrative Jeddah, Saudi Arabia New name and emblem centre Member states (Headquarters) Africa Official languages Arabic · English · French Asia Type Religious Europe Membership 57 member states South America Leaders Positions Israeli–Palestinian conflict • Secretary-General Yousef Al-Othaimeen Relationship with India Establishment Cartoons of Muhammad • Charter signed 25 September 1969 Human rights Population LGBT rights • 2018 estimate 1.81 billion Science and technology GDP (PPP) 2019 estimate Astana Declaration • Total $27.949 trillion • Per capita $19,451 Non-state terrorism Dispute with Thailand GDP (nominal) 2019 estimate • Total $9.904 trillion Notable meetings • Per capita $9,361 Ninth meeting of PUOICM HDI (2018) 0.672 IPHRC Trip to Washington DC medium · 122nd Observer Status dispute Website www.oic-oci.org (http://www.oic-oci.org/) Structure and organisation Islamic Summit Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers Secretary General Permanent Secretariat Subsidiary organisations Specialised institutions Affiliated institutions Criticism Secretaries-General Organisation of Islamic Cooperation Head-office Building, Jeddah Islamic Summits See also References Further reading External links History Al-Aqsa fire On 21 August 1969 a fire was started in the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Amin al-Husseini, the former Mufti of Jerusalem, called the arson a "Jewish crime" and called for all Muslim heads of state to convene a summit.[2] (The fire, which "destroyed part of the old wooden roof and a 800-year-old pulpit"[3] was blamed on the mental illness of the perpetrator — Australian Christian fundamentalist Denis Michael Rohan — by Israel, and on Zionists and Zionism in general by the Islamic conference.)[4] Islamic Conference On 25 September 1969, an Islamic Conference, a summit of representatives of 24 Muslim majority countries (most of the representatives being heads of state), was held in Rabat, Morocco.[2][1] A resolution was passed stating that "Muslim government would consult with a view to promoting among themselves close cooperation and mutual assistance in the economic, scientific, cultural and spiritual fields, inspired by the immortal teachings of Islam."[2] Six months later in March 1970, the First Islamic Conference of Foreign Ministers was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.[4] In 1972, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC, now the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) was founded.[5] While the al-Aqsa fire is regarded as one of the catalysts for the formation of the OIC, many Muslims have aspired to a pan-Islamic institution that would serve the common political, economic, and social interests of the ummah (Muslim community) since the 19th century. In particular, the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and the Caliphate after World War I left a vacuum. Goals 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 the fields of science and technology.[1] The emblem of the OIC contains three main elements that reflect its vision and mission as incorporated in its new Charter. These elements are: 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 serve as a guidance for the member states in the matters of human rights in as much as they are compatible with the Sharia, or Quranic Law.[6] In March 2008, the OIC conducted a formal revision of its charter. The revised charter set out to promote human rights, fundamental freedoms, and good governance in all member states. The revisions also removed any mention of the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam. Within the revised charter, the OIC has chosen to support the Charter of the United Nations and international law, without mentioning the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.[7] Refugees According to the UNHCR, OIC countries hosted 18 million refugees by the end of 2010. Since then OIC members have absorbed refugees from other conflicts, including the uprising in Syria. In May 2012, the OIC addressed these concerns at the "Refugees in the Muslim World" conference in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.[8] New name and emblem On 28 June 2011 during the 38th Council of Foreign Ministers meeting (CFM) in Astana, Kazakhstan, the organisation changed its name from Organisation of the Islamic Conference (Arabic: ; French: Organisation de la Conférence Islamique) to its current name.[9] The OIC also cha nged its logo a t this time. Member states The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation has 57 members, 56 of which are also member states of the United Nations, the exception being Palestine. Some members, especially in West Africa and South America, are – though with large Muslim populations – not necessarily Muslim majority countries. A few countries with significant Muslim populations, such as Russia and Thailand, sit as Observer States. The collective population of OIC member states is over 1.9 billion as of 2018. Africa Algeria Benin Burkina Faso Cameroon Chad Comoros Djibouti Egypt Gabon A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various multinational organisations within the Organisation f Islamic Cooperation (note that Syria is currently suspended from all organizations included in this diagram due to uman rights abuses in the ongoing Syrian Civil War). Gambia v • d • e (https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Template:Supranational_Islamic_Bodies&action=edit) Guinea Guinea- Bissau Ivory Coast Libya Mali Mauritania Morocco Mozambique Niger Nigeria Senegal Sierra Leone Somalia Sudan Togo Tunisia Uganda Asia Afghanistan Azerbaijan Bahrain Bangladesh Brunei Indonesia Iran Iraq Jordan Kazakhstan Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lebanon Malaysia Maldives Oman Pakistan Palestine Qatar Saudi Arabia Syria (Suspended)[10] Tajikistan Turkey Turkmenistan United Arab Emirates Uzbekistan Yemen Europe Albania South America Guyana Suriname Positions The Parliamentary Union of the OIC Member States (PUOICM) was established in Iran in 1999, and its head office is situated in Tehran. Only OIC members are entitled to membership in the union.[11] On 27 June 2007, then-United States President George W. Bush announced that the United States would establish 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."[12] As of June 2015, Arsalan Suleman is acting special envoy. He was appointed on 13 February 2015.[13] In an investigation of the accuracy of a series of chain emails, Snopes.com reported that during the October 2003 – April 2004 session of the General Assembly, 17 individual members of the OIC voted against the United States 88% of the time.[14] 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.[15] In March 2015, the OIC announced its support for the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen against the Shia Houthis.[16] Israeli–Palestinian conflict The OIC supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The OIC has called for boycott of Israeli products in effort to pressure Israel into ending the occupation of the Palestinian territories.[17][18] There was a meeting in Conakry in 2013. 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.[19] In December 2017, the extraordinary meeting held to response Donald Trump's decision on recognizing Jerusalem, resulting "Istanbul Declaration on Freedom for Al Quds."[20] In September 2019, the OIC condemned Benjamin Netanyahu's plans to annex the eastern portion of the occupied West Bank known as the Jordan Valley.[21] Relationship with India Islam is the second-largest religion in India after Hinduism, with roughly 15% of the country's population or 201 million people identifying as adherents of Islam (2018 estimate).[22][23][24] It makes India the country with the largest Muslim population outside Muslim-majority countries. However, India's relationship with Pakistan has always been tense and has a direct impact on India-OIC relations, with Pakistan being a founding member of the OIC. India has pushed for the OIC to accept India as a member, arguing that about 11% of all Muslims worldwide live in India. Pakistan opposes India's entry into the OIC.[25][26][27] The reason for opposition to India's entry into the OIC cited by Pakistan is due to the human rights issues and problems faced by the Kashmiris in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir.[28] India has pushed against the OIC for referring to the state of Jammu and Kashmir as "occupied by India".[25] The Muslim world has been supporting Pakistan rather than India in case of dissentions between the two.