Politics and Religion Journal

The Position of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the Palestinian Issue

2025-06-21T20:20:34+02:00

The current study discusses the evolution of the position of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on the Palestinian issue since its establishment until the present time, in which the Palestinian issue is experiencing a critical circumstance in light of the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Palestinian territories since October 7, 2023. The importance of the role of the OIC lies in the fact that the OIC is considered the most prominent international organization representing Islamic countries, while the Palestinian issue is considered one of the most prominent issues for Islamic peoples and countries. The study discusses the organization’s positions on the Palestinian issue and the factors influencing it. The study examines the most prominent achievements made by the organization in supporting the Palestinian issue, as well as the most prominent challenges facing the OIC in taking a more effective position in favor of the Palestinian issue. The study relies on the descriptive analytical approach and the comparative approach. Regarding data sources, the study relies mainly on analyzing many decisions and summits of the OIC, speeches by secretaries-general and officials, and official reports published on the organization’s website. It also relies on secondary sources such as previous research and studies, newspaper articles, and specialized books. The study concluded that one of the most important achievements is the decision of the OIC rejecting the displacement of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.

From Historical Caliphate to Modern Governance Alliance: Tracing the Origin and Evolution of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

2025-06-21T20:25:19+02:00

Founded in 1969, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) bears a modern iteration of the traditional notion of Islamic caliphate, embodying the leadership ideals of the Islamic world. Historically, the caliphate symbolised a unified system of good governance under individual rulers, with the fall of the Ottoman Empire marking its end and heralding significant ideological transformations within the Muslim community. In the wake of modernity and postcolonialism, as traditional Islamic governance structures were reevaluated amidst the rise of nationalism and nation-states, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict crystallised these shifts, fostering a collective Islamic identity through the OIC. This cooperation not only seeks to uphold religious identity and political influence but also to perpetuate Islamic governance in the contemporary milieu. This paper investigates the OIC’s evolution from historical caliphate ideals to modern polity, assessing its ideological foundations, pivotal role and enduring relevance in today’s global landscape.

The Use of Soft Power by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

2025-06-21T20:31:54+02:00

This study aims to examine the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), a prominent international organization representing Muslim-majority states, and its utilization of soft power tools to advance its objectives and influence global affairs. The authors use soft power as a theoretical framework throughout the research. The principal aim of the study is to analyze how the OIC leverages various soft power instruments, including diplomacy, cultural exchange, development assistance, and interfaith dialogue, to promote its agenda on issues like human rights, peacebuilding, and economic cooperation. This research employs a qualitative approach, utilizing content analysis of official OIC documents, speeches, and resolutions, alongside academic literature and secondary sources. This journal article reveals the specific soft power tools employed by the OIC and their relative effectiveness, the challenges and limitations faced by the OIC in utilizing soft power as well as the impact of the OIC's soft power efforts on international relations and global issues relevant to Muslim-majority states. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the OIC's role in international relations and its strategic use of soft power. It also provides valuable insights for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners interested in Muslim-majority states' engagement with the global community and the dynamics of soft power in the contemporary world.

The Advancement of Women in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

2025-06-21T20:38:01+02:00

This article examines the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation’s OIC perspective on the advancement of women and how it can be implemented, given the importance of this development at the civilizational level. And, it explains the OIC’s perspective on: “gender and women’s empowerment”, in the framework of its Islamic values and by comparing it with the secular perspective. By monitoring the OIC’s programmes, projects, agreements and plans related to women’s issues and empowerment. Focusing on the OIC Plan of Action for the Advancement of Women (OPAAW 2016) and its objectives. Also, the mechanisms for implementation and measurement of OPAAW, especially with the establishment of a specialised organisation for women’s affairs in 2020, the Women Development Organisation WDO. Then, the article analyse the aspects of the progress achieved, in some OIC member states under different circumstances. The descriptive analytical approach is used to explore the perspective on women’s empowerment. Sufficient data on the mechanisms and instruments for OIC implementing the OPAAW were collected and the statistics obtained were interpreted.

Navigating Displaced Women’s Protection in the Muslim world: Analysis of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation

2025-06-21T20:42:06+02:00

This article critically analyses the role of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in assisting women in conflict and displacement, focusing on its political commitments and institutional capacities. Moving away from Eurocentric models of refugee governance, it centres on a Global South actor—the OIC, a cross-regional institution bringing together 57 countries. The study uses multi-methods, including interdisciplinary semi-structured literature reviews on gender, displacement, and the OIC, alongside policy analysis of OIC humanitarian, cultural, and social resolutions from the Council of Foreign Ministers’ annual sessions (1979–2022) and the OIC Ministerial Conferences on Women (2006–2021). Findings indicate that although the OIC has articulated political commitments and introduced institutional measures in collaboration with international organisations such as the UN, its contribution remains largely symbolic due to the absence of a coordinated refugee support mechanism within its ecosystem. Nonetheless, the OIC’s soft, non-binding commitments offer ethical and moral value, rooted in Islamic principles, to enhance support for displaced women. These values may influence member states’ responses to displacement. To strengthen regional protection systems, the OIC might consider developing a complementary framework and an entity responsible for refugee support. International actors, in turn, could engage more substantively with the OIC around its faith-informed principles to advance humanitarian diplomacy and protection.

Efforts of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Developing Endowment (Waqf) Economies in the Islamic World

2025-06-21T20:48:47+02:00

This study aims to highlight the key efforts of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in promoting, supporting, and developing waqf resources and economies in Islamic countries. In this regard, the OIC's efforts focus on strengthening waqf financing, resources, and investments to achieve and enhance sustainable development across various social and economic sectors in member states. This is carried out through its contributions and initiatives that stimulate investment and innovation in the fields of renewable energy and sustainable agriculture, in addition to supporting infrastructure such as roads, transportation, sanitation, water projects, and more. The organization also seeks to enhance and develop education, technology, healthcare, and vocational training, along with its support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to empower local institutions and companies, and improve the skills of youth and isolated or remote communities. These efforts reflect the OIC's aspiration to strengthen and develop waqf economies as an integral part of Islamic economies, while contributing to sustainable development and improving the standard of living for individuals in member states and beyond.

The OIC’s Strategies and Impact on Combating Religious Defamation and Islamophobia

2025-06-21T20:51:41+02:00

Since its inception, the The OIChas been a pivotal force in combating defamation of religions. It has successfully mobilized international public opinion against the defamation of religious symbols, Quran burning, and Islamophobia-driven incidents. Through strategic use of its political influence, represented by its 57 member states, the OIC has generated significant legal and human rights momentum within the United Nations and its Human Rights Council. This has led to the adoption of several international resolutions that criminalize the defamation of religions and attacks on Islamic sanctities and symbols. This article examines the OIC’s efforts in securing the adoption of UN Resolution 35/16, the international controversy it sparked, and the subsequent replacement with the landmark Human Rights Council Resolution 18/16. It also explores the launch of the Istanbul Process, aimed at implementing the provisions of this resolution, and the OIC’s continued progress culminating in Resolution 53/1. Through these efforts, the OIC has solidified its achievements in defending religious freedom and the right to practice religion free from stereotypes and oppression, while also highlighting Islamophobia, which has recently become a top priority for the organization. The article employs an analytical method to investigate the topic’s scientific material, identifying both the successes and shortcomings of the OIC in this critical area.

Advocacy and Action: The OIC’s Role in Safeguarding Muslim Minorities

2025-06-21T20:59:19+02:00

This article examines the crucial role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in protecting the rights of Muslim minorities worldwide, particularly in Europe and Asia. The OIC’s efficacy in safeguarding minority Muslims in non-member states has been a topic of both commendation and critique, despite its extensive authority. The examination commences by scrutinizing the fundamental aims of the OIC and the legal frameworks it utilizes to interfere in matters that impact Muslims globally. The article evaluates the OIC’s reactions to instances of discrimination and violence against Muslims in Europe, including the ongoing difficulties faced by Muslim communities in France and Germany, as well as the legal and social barriers encountered by Muslims in Myanmar and China in Asia. This assessment is based on in-depth case studies. These incidents demonstrate the intricate nature of the OIC’s engagement, encompassing diplomatic conversations, issuing condemnations, and initiating and supporting legal measures on international forums. Moreover, the article rigorously assesses the influence of OIC’s actions in these locations, examining the results and the wider geopolitical consequences. The text explores the limitations encountered by the OIC, such as the political dynamics inside its member states and the impact of major global powers. The conclusion consolidates these observations to assert that although the OIC has achieved noteworthy progress in promoting the rights of Muslim minorities, there are still substantial obstacles that need to be addressed.

Epistemological Contestations in Global Governance: The OIC and the Conceptualization of Minorities

2025-06-21T21:07:11+02:00

This study examines the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) role in framing Muslim minorities as a distinct sociopolitical and discursive category and its subsequent global advocacy efforts. With over one-third of the global Muslim population residing outside OIC member states, these communities face systemic challenges, including structural discrimination, cultural erasure, and political marginalization. Rooted in the concept of the ummah, the OIC’s engagement emphasizes transnational Islamic solidarity while contending with the structural constraints of a state-centric international order. Through an analysis of official OIC documents, declarations, and public communications, this paper uncovers the epistemological and ideological underpinnings of the organization’s advocacy narratives. It contrasts the OIC’s communitarian approach to minority rights with the universalist framework of the United Nations, highlighting philosophical and normative divergences. While the OIC exhibits significant potential as a mediator and advocate, its reliance on state actors and alignment with international norms reveal inherent tensions between its transnational vision and the geopolitical realities of global governance. This research contributes to the broader understanding of how religious frameworks intersect with modern political structures, positioning the OIC as both an influential and constrained actor in advancing justice, epistemic sovereignty, and equity for marginalized Muslim communities.

And the Word Became Indigenous… Indigenous Christian Theology Today

2024-08-06T13:10:41+02:00

Among the strong criticisms made to the Catholic Church is the ideological and religious imposition over centuries on the native peoples, which, as a consequence, undermines their culture, worldview and religiosity. During the second half of the 20th century, some Catholic sectors changed their perspective and began to understand indigenous peoples' religious diversity and defend these values and cultural traits. Despite the opposition among the most conservative sectors of the Church, this movement is still in force; it is called Indigenous Christian Theology (ICT). It is essential to discuss and analyze the origin and current relevance of ICT so we understand this topic. Consequently, based on a recent literature review which is complemented by one example of religiosity of indigenous Chuj people in Chiapas, Mexico, this paper explores the emergence of ICT, demonstrates ICT as a pastoral care movement that recognizes indigenous identity through dialogue, respect for religious diversity, and the assertion of the right to non-discrimination. As a result, we try to present a broader perspective of current ICT as a movement that empowers ethnic identity and indigenous religious expression, that allows indigenous religiosity and Christianity to coexist in parallel and, therefore, promotes interreligious and intercultural dialogue.

2025-06-22T19:27:28+02:00

In Memory of Stella Marega (1976 – 2024)

2025-06-21T21:22:16+02:00

A Word From the Editor-in-Chief: The 23rd Birthday of the First Book in the World Titled Politology of Religion

2025-06-21T21:27:50+02:00

A Word from the Guest Editor: Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

2025-06-21T20:10:26+02:00

"The Organization of Islamic Cooperation: Politics, Problems, and Potential" by Turan Kayaoglu. London: Routledge, 2015.

2025-06-21T21:10:58+02:00