Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation And Pakistan – OpEd
By Patial RC
Pakistan will be hosting the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) 48th Conference of Foreign Ministers from 22 to 23 March 2022 which coincides with the 75th anniversary celebrations of ‘Pakistan Day’. A measure of Pakistan has been hosting several events of the organisation.Pakistan contrived to get itself included on the plea that it was the largest “Islamic” state initially.However,Pakistan has since been at the forefront of the OIC’s efforts to champion Muslim causes the world over. OIC which started in 1969, is the second largest international organisation after the UN with 57 member states.
Pakistan Day is a public holiday celebrated annually on March 23rd.The Day commemorates the ‘Lahore Resolution’ of 1940, also known as the ‘Pakistan Resolution’ that eventually led to the creation of Pakistan.Lahore Resolution rejected the concept of a United India and proposed the creation of an independent state for Muslims.The resolution paved the way for the creation of Pakistan on August 14th 1947, when Pakistan became the world’s first Islamic republic.
Pakistan has always used OIC as a platform to gather support on the Kashmir conflict against India.It is highly unfortunate that Pakistan continues to be guided by a single point agenda ‘Kashmir’ especially when meetings are hosted in Pakistan. To further mitigate the atmosphere this year the OIC has extended invitation to Kashmiri separist organisation ‘All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC)’ Chairman, Masarrat Aalam Butt. The invite must be on behest of Pakistan.
Modi govt is considering banning All Parties Hurriyat Conference as an “unlawful organisation” under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act for their leaders’ involvement in terror financing in Jammu and Kashmir. “The Government of India takes a very serious view of actions that seek to subvert the unity of the country or try to violate the integrity and sovereignty of the country…We don’t expect the OIC to encourage anti-India actors, organisations engaged in anti-India activities,” said MEA spokesperson on the OIC reportedly inviting APHC to its meeting.
However, the OIC has taken up the Kashmir dispute in its earlier deliberations. Apart from several resolutions on Kashmir, the OIC has set up a ‘Kashmir Contact Group’ for addressing direct communications with India. These have not only called for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions for a plebiscite in Kashmir but also for an immediate end to the repression of the Kashmiri people.
The Pakistan ISI along with Turkey has been influencing Muslims across the world to speak about the Kashmir issue and project a false narrative of India. Turkey according to an Intelligence Bureau report.They are employing Kashmiri journalists to put out a false narrative, dole out scholarships so that radicalisation can take place at educational institutes and fund NGOs to influence Indian Muslims on foreign policy which is detrimental to India’s interests.
An OSINT report speaks in detail about how a boycott campaign was launched last year September by the Muslim Brotherhood (MB) nexus against India as well as targeting Saudi Arabia and UAE apart from France. An Intelligence Bureau official tells that earlier Pakistan used to rely on the UAE and Saudi Arabia for anti-India narrative. However India’s foreign have improved with Saudi and the UAE, which has made Pakistan shift focus to Turkey now.
Lately another favourite agenda of Pakistan in the OIC is combating the rising threat of ‘Islamophobia’ and has taken a leadership role in the OIC on the issue. Prime Minister Imran Khan took this initiative further during his speech to the UN in 2018, leading to the recognition of ‘Islamophobia’ as a form of religious and racial discrimination. Russia and few others, have endorsed Pakistan’s position.
Islamophobia remains a contested term amongst political and academic debates. Some deny Islamophobia exists at all. However, a definition is important because it provides much-needed clarity in legislation that is intended to protect vulnerable minorities.
Islamophobia is a prejudice, aversion, hostility, or hatred towards Muslims and encompasses any distinction, exclusion, restriction, discrimination, or preference against Muslims that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. — MEND’s Definition
Islamic world fails to stand up for Uyghurs.
Islamophobia remains a double speak for Pakistan and the OIC when it comes to condemning China on issue of Uyghurs religious and racial discrimination.OIC has surprisingly been a mute spectator to the horrors perpetuated by the China on the Uyghurs and Sinicisation of Xinjiang. South East Asian Muslim organisations have urged the OIC “to break its silence and take a public stand against China’s ongoing genocidal campaign in East Turkestan (Xinjiang).”Most Muslim nations have failed to condemn China over its repression of Muslims in Xinjiang province. It is thought they are reluctant to do this because of China’s economic grip over them.
Pakistan has also been an ardent supporter of China in the United Nations. Imran Khan is an expert on all issues especially on HRs within his own country, Kashmir and Uyghurs of China. He gives Beijing a ‘Clean Chit’ on rampant HRs abuses and religious persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang.
Why Population explosion not on Agenda?
Population explosion is a threat to any national security which leads to unemployment and ends up in violence related incidents or the youth joins some Terrorist groups or become part of civil wars.The doctrine of Islam is based upon the total Islamisation of the world; The democratic countries like India are the worst sufferers and some of their states are witnessing the worst demographic change.
Muslim growth rates in European nations such as Belgium (139.8 per cent), Czech Republic (300 per cent), the Netherland (165.7 per cent), Poland (233.3 per cent), Spain (276.8 per cent), Sweden (206.8 per cent), and the United Kingdom (144.8 per cent) witnessed an increase by 140-300 per cent between 1990 and 2010. Germany is the only country with a double-digit growth rate of 65 per cent. Muslims have grown by 150 per cent in a decade in non-Muslim countries. For the same period Muslim countries have only grown in double figures with Syria leading (88.4 per cent) and Pakistan (58.6 per cent).
Pakistan has consistently stressed the need for greater unity and solidarity among OIC members.The OIC, like other multilateral bodies, does not have any legal authority to implement its decisions. It can only rely on moral pressure and persuasion based on religion. It is regrettable that the OIC continues to be guided by a single member’s (Pakistan) political agenda rather than focusing on important development activities, population control and Pakistan as hub of terrorism.
