Equality and Nondiscrimination Through the Eyes of an International Religious Organization: The Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s (OIC) Response to Women’s Rights

Abstract

This article is first of a two part series that draws on women‘s rights and sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) to explore how Organization of Cooperation (OIC) represents, interprets and seeks to impact right to equality and protection against discrimination as enshrined under international human rights law. The study is a novel one inasmuch as OIC is neither a state nor a religious group per se. Rather, OIC stands out as only contemporary intergovernmental organization unifying its member states around commonality of a single religion. In this capacity, organization maintains no direct obligations or rights under key instruments such as Universal Declaration on Human Rights (UDHR) or International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).Nevertheless, as part of its mandate representing 57 predominantly Muslim states, OIC has increasingly asserted a role for itself on international stage as the collective voice of Muslim world. This new assertiveness is particularly evident in context of debates surrounding content of human rights norms in international fora such as United Nations, where OIC has sought to develop common policy positions and encourage its members to vote as a bloc on issues of concern. Against this backdrop, article concludes that supporters of universal human rights norms need to better understand how OIC‘s mission to protect and defend true image of Islam may impact international debates over substance of equality and nondiscrimination norms, and develop appropriate responses to these efforts as a means to ensure that universality is not undermined.This article begins with a brief introduction to OIC, and proceeds to explore its relationship with principles of equality and nondiscrimination by examining its founding document and other relevant primary sources. With this understanding in place, paper turns to examine OIC‘s contemporary handling of these principles as manifested in debates surrounding women‘s rights as well as relevance and impact of Islamic values on scope of those rights. This article‘s exploration of family values also serves as a pivot point to begin framing rights issues related to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Intersex (LGBTI) individuals and related SOGI issues. Throughout this examination, role of OIC‘s newly established Independent Permanent Human Rights Commission (IPHRC) is considered as a means of appraising whether a shift in OIC‘s position may be forthcoming.