Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Context:

• Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson said the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) should not allow itself be “subverted” by Pakistan, which may prompt it to interfere in India’s internal affairs.

Why this issue aroused?

• The discussion between the two sides comes in the context of the reported back channel talks between India and Pakistan that are being assisted by the United Arab Emirates.
• The role of the UAE in moderating India-Pakistan acrimony in regional and world bodies like the OIC and the UN were also noted in the past.
• India has reached out to various OIC members like the U.A.E., Bangladesh and the Maldives to support New Delhi’s position on relevant matters.

About Organisation of Islamic Cooperation

• It was formerly known as the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
• It is an international organization founded in 1969, consisting of 57 member states, with 49 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 harmony".
• The OIC has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European

India and OIC:

• Islam is the second-largest religion in India after Hinduism, with over 200 million Muslims making up approximately 15% of the country's total population.
• India has the largest Muslim population outside of Muslim-majority or Islamic states.
• However, India's relationship with Pakistan, has been riddled with hostilities and armed conflict since the 1947 Partition of India.
• The poor relationship between the two states has had a direct impact on India–OIC relations due to Pakistan's status as a founding member of the organization.
• India has pushed for the OIC to accept it as a member state, arguing that Indian Muslims comprise 11% of the world's total Muslim population; Pakistan has staunchly opposed the entry of India into the organization.
• Pakistan has cited its conflict with India over the Kashmir region as the reason for its opposition, and frequently accuses India of perpetrating widespread human rights abuses against Kashmiris in the Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which has witnessed an ongoing militant uprising since the 1980s.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/oic-should-not-allow-itself-to-be-subverted-by-pakistan-mea/article35223316.ece