Islamic Conference Research Articles

ISLAMIC CONFERENCE ORGANISATION: Twelfth Summit (Cairo)

Africa Research Bulletin: Political, Social and Cultural SeriesVolume 50, Issue 2 p. 19615A-19615C Overseas Relations ISLAMIC CONFERENCE ORGANISATION: Twelfth Summit (Cairo) First published: 20 March 2013 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-825X.2013.04975.xRead the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume50, Issue2March 2013Pages 19615A-19615C RelatedInformation

Islamic Banking: Inclusion in the Indian Banking Sector

Innumerable changes have been witnessed in the Indian banking sector since last six decades. Various generations of financial sector reforms has changed the face and complexion of the Indian Banking Sector which is adopting various innovative practices with the focus on inclusive growth. Islamic banking is one such practice which is being considered in full fledged manner which otherwise has been practiced in an informal way. Islamic banking has set its foot on the path of rapid growth throughout the globe and India could not be isolated from it, looking at immense potential. The 1st Ernst & Young World Islamic Banking Competitiveness Report 2011 presented at the 18th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference stated that Islamic banking assets with commercial banks globally will reach US$1.1 trillion in 2012, a significant jump of 33% from their 2010 level of US$826 billion. The conventional banking as practiced by the Indian banking sector in its present form does stand in the way of the principles of Islamic banking which prohibits transaction on the basis of interest and operate on profit and loss based on Islamic principles. Introduction of interest free banking will require a lot of changes in the Banking Regulation Act. Innumerable changes have been witnessed in the Indian banking sector since last six decades. From nationalisation in the 60's to liberalisation in the 90's this sector has been forging ahead as a significant element of the Indian Financial System. A well developed banking system is a pre-requisite for smooth and effective functioning of any economy. The basic function of the banking sector has been mobilising savings from the surplus entities and channelising them to deficit entities for productive purposes. These functions are based on the premise of interest rates, interest being given to depositor and interest being charged by the bank for lending. An alternate to this conventional banking system is Islamic banking which prohibits transaction on the basis of interest and operate on profit and loss based on Islamic principles. Islamic banking has set its foot on the path of rapid growth throughout the globe and India could not be isolated from it, looking at immense potential. The 1st Ernst & Young World Islamic Banking Competitiveness Report 2011 presented at the 18th Annual World Islamic Banking Conference stated that Islamic banking assets with commercial banks globally will reach US$1.1 trillion in 2012, a significant jump of 33% from their 2010 level of US$826 billion. Looking at the global recognition of Islamic Banking the RBI also weighed the option of introducing Islamic banking in the main stream of the Indian banking sector and constituted a committee in 2007 to examine the issues relating to Islamic banking. This can be the appropriate time for introduction of Islamic banking in India, when world is gripped under the impact of the subprime crisis, fallout of conventional banking based on interest and interest trap. Before discussing the convergence of Islamic banking into the mainstream banking sector it would be appropriate to highlight the concept of Islamic banking. In the following discussion Islamic banking and interest free banking are used interchangeably. CONCEPT OF ISLAMIC BANKING Islamic banking is a banking practice as per the Islamic principles, prescribed in the ‗Shariah' known as ‗Fiqh al-Muamalat' (Islamic rules on transaction). The Islamic law prohibits ‗riba' which means interest in Islamic discourse. It operates on the principle of sharing both profits and risks by the borrower as well as lender. The depositor, who unlike in the conventional banking system is risk-averse, is a provider of capital and equally shares the risks with the bank who lends his funds. . The basic principle of Islamic banking is the prohibition of Riba- (Usury - or interest)

Organization of the Islamic Conference in transforming world

The paper addresses the following issues: the evolution of the goals and objectives of the OIC in the context of the transformation of the world order after the Cold War, the impact of temporary structures established a unipolar world the activities of trans-regional cooperation among the institutions of the Islamic world. The article traced such trends as the beginning of the formation of a polycentric world and the intensification of regional associations of small and medium-sized countries, the political trend of consolidation in the OIC against the heterogeneity of its member countries, an attempt to "modernizing" the OIC in order to enhance its effectiveness and credibility in the international arena and the ongoing process of reform. Author notes the desire of the OIC to become a center of influence in Muslim world, as well as increased contact with the individual and collective actors in international relations. The article also discussed the motives and goals of Russia's accession to the OIC in the status of observer and prospects of their interaction.

The Boundary Spanning Effects of the Muslim Diaspora on the Internationalization Processes of Firms from Organization of Islamic Conference Countries

Abstract While scholarly attention to the role played by diasporans in facilitating cross-country trade has recently increased, the implicitness of this phenomenon has prevented many researchers from examining empirically how these processes actually work. Unlike previous studies that focus on diasporans from specific countries of origin, we take a different perspective on diasporans by looking beyond country boundaries. We focus on religious/cultural groupings, specifically on Muslim diasporans living in the West. We utilize a phenomenological driven qualitative research approach to investigate the effects of Muslim diasporans on the internationalization processes of firms from Organization of Islamic Conference countries in the context of the halal industry. Our exploratory study provides some evidence for (1) the boundary spanner roles played by Muslim diasporans within the halal industry across more than dyadic country contexts and (2) for Rahnema's (2006) triple identity theory.

The Contribution of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to the Peace Process in Mindanao

The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) has been involved in conflict resolution of a highly complex and intractable civil war in the context of Mindanao in the Philippines for over a period of 35 years. This article presents an investigation of such a long-lasting and arduous response by first, presenting an overview of the OIC in terms of its mandate, structure and previous conflict resolution activities. Second, it contextualises the Mindanao conflict by focussing on its main actors; and third, the OIC's response as a third party through different types of conflict resolutions modalities in the historicity of the peace process will be explored in the analysis section. The conclusions will summarise a set of reasons why the OIC's response has overall been ad hoc, politically charged and ineffective in bringing about a peaceful resolution to the Mindanao conflict.

From Durban to the Goldstone Report: the centrality of human rights NGOs in the political dimension of the Arab–Israeli conflict

Disproportionate and unsubstantiated allegations of human rights violations, war crimes and racism have been employed as a form of political warfare designed to isolate Israel internationally. This strategy, based on the model used to defeat the apartheid government in South Africa, was adopted in 2001 at the NGO Forum of the UN-sponsored Durban Conference on racism, in which 1500 organizations participated. Since then, as demonstrated in this article, many human rights NGOs have consistently supported the political agenda of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), whose members dominate the UN Human Rights Council. In the decade following the Durban conference, the NGO network has issued frequent condemnations of Israel based on false or unverifiable allegations of human rights abuses and ‘war crimes’. The NGO campaigns, led by international groups such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, are central in this process, from Jenin (2002), through the UNHRC's Goldstone Report on the Gaza war (2009). Journalists, academics, diplomats, political leaders, and legal officials in liberal Western democracies frequently cite these generally unsubstantiated allegations in condemning Israeli policies, reflecting the ‘soft power’ of these NGOs acting to reinforce the Palestinian narrative and the objectives of the OIC.

Research Performances of Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) Members.

Scientometric analysis of academic institutions provides useful information for policy makers, international and national organizations to invest in the research fields of the institutions to gain more outputs with less cost. The objectives of this work were to report a scientometric analysis of Islamic states considering a number of indicators. The number of articles and patents published by members of organization of Islamic conference were extracted from Scopus(TM) along with the top journals, authors, document type, universities, language of the publications and subjects. The analyses of data revealed that Turkey is the leading country followed by Iran, Egypt, Malaysia and Nigeria when total numbers of indexed articles in Scopus(TM) are considered. When the articles of 2006-2010 are considered the ranks are Turkey, Iran, Malaysia, Egypt and Pakistan. the increased pattern was observed for scientific performances of OIC members however, more investments are required to fill the gap between OIC members and the leading countries.

Appraisal of the research grant schemes of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean: the way forward

One way that the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) promotes the important area of health research is by providing research grants within the Region. A desk review of 2 of the EMRO-supported research grant schemes was done to assess: the selection process ofthe research proposals, the priority areas, country data and information on the principal investigator. The 2 schemes were: EMRO grant for Research in Priority Areas of Public Health, started in 2002, and the EMRO and Organization of Islamic Conference Standing Committee for Science and Technological Cooperation Grant for Research in Applied Biotechnology & Genomics in Health, started in 2004. The paper proposes the following recommendations to enhance benefit from the grant process: create a critical mass of researchers through joint collaboration in proposals and mentoring; instigate a more rigorous process to disseminate the call for proposals more widely and effectively; and include relevant stakeholders in the identification of priority areas for research and overall monitoring of the process.

Hajj Amin al-Husayni and the Haram al-Sharif: A Pan-Islamic or Palestinian Nationalist Cause?

The World Islamic Conference, held in Jerusalem in 1931 under the auspices of Hajj Amin al-Husayni and the Supreme Muslim Council, marked a turning point in the Palestinian nationalist struggle as well as in the struggle between the two main factions—the more extremist one led by Hajj Amin and the more moderate Opposition—for control of the Palestinian leadership. The Conference, though co-sponsored by Shawkat ‘Ali and the Muslim Indian Congress, and ostensibly representative of the worldwide community of Muslims, was effectively dominated by Hajj Amin and his Palestinian supporters. Through his control of its proceedings, Hajj Amin was able to redefine the Palestinian nationalist cause as essentially a pan-Islamic one, in connection with the perceived need to defend the Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem against Zionist encroachment. Contrasted here with the World Islamic Conference (and held concurrently with it) is the Second Arab Orthodox Congress. Whereas the World Islamic Conference sought to redefine an issue arguably specific to Palestine as pan-Islamic, the local Christian Orthodox community, in keeping with its desire to Arabise Palestine's Greek Orthodox Church (hence their self-designation as the Arab Orthodox Church in Palestine), sought to redefine what was essentially a religious matter—concerning the succession of the Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem—in nationalist terms. It was not simply a matter of differing ideological perspectives; defining the cause of the Haram al-Sharif as a pan-Islamic one also served a political objective, namely the enhancement of Hajj Amin's position vis-à-vis his political rivals. Nonetheless, whatever the motivations involved, this development was a factor in the marginalisation of the Christian Arab component of the Palestinian nationalist movement. Whereas at the start of the British Mandate they had played a role disproportionately large relative to their actual numbers, by its end, their role in the nationalist movement had diminished almost to the point of near inconsequence, as evidenced, for instance, by their marginal involvement in the Arab Revolt (1936–1939).

Consultation Structures in German Immigrant Integration Politics: The National Integration Summit and the German Islam Conference

The article examines the interaction patterns between the national government and immigrant groups in Germany. The German government has established two kinds of consultation procedures: one for issues of immigrant integration in a more general sense and a separate state–Islam dialogue. It is shown here that by means of these bodies governmental actors sought to gain regular access to immigrant minorities and – at the same time – established opportunity structures through which they could organise. The specific shape and characteristics of the consultation structures and process are found to be a result of the specific historical contexts and problem constellations, established patterns of state–society relations, and the characteristics of the political system.

The Muslim World League in Europe: An Islamic Organization to serve the Saudi Strategic Interests?

Abstract In order to struggle against the growing influence in the Arab world of the secular nationalism promoted in Egypt by President Nasser, Saudi Arabia decided in the ‘60s to appear as a center of religious and ideological influence. The cornerstone of the hegemonic politics of Saudi Arabia for the world leadership of Islam was the creation, in 1962, of the Muslim World League. This organization was in charge of financing projects related to the development of Islam in the world. It is probably in Europe that the proselyte activities of the League are the most important. If the League holds a predominant position in the soft power politics of the Saudi kingdom, its mission is also to struggle against ideologies that are likely to threaten the stability of the regime. It funds projects of mosques construction, distributes Korans and brochures, organizes Islamic classes and conferences, hoping to create networks of clientele and of non-critical allegiances to the Saudi kingdom in the Muslim populations. The League advocates a heterogeneous salafism, which indeed resembles, at least on a dogmatic level, the salafism advocated by theologists of Saudi Arabia but dissociates itself from it on a social and a political level. Confronted to the multiplication of international risks (the Iraq War, al-Qaeda, Saudi jihadists . . .), the League takes part in a vast institutional ensemble “of protection of the Saudi throne,” like the Dar al Ifta, Council of the Saudi ulamas, which pledges allegiance to the authority and fight against anti-establishment Islamism and Islamic terrorism with its different fatwas.

An Interfaith Dialogue on the Neglected Tropical Diseases

An Interfaith Dialogue on the Neglected Tropical Diseases

BRAIN DEATH IN ISLAMIC ETHICO‐LEGAL DELIBERATION: CHALLENGES FOR APPLIED ISLAMIC BIOETHICS

Since the 1980s, Islamic scholars and medical experts have used the tools of Islamic law to formulate ethico-legal opinions on brain death. These assessments have varied in their determinations and remain controversial. Some juridical councils such as the Organization of Islamic Conferences' Islamic Fiqh Academy (OIC-IFA) equate brain death with cardiopulmonary death, while others such as the Islamic Organization of Medical Sciences (IOMS) analogize brain death to an intermediate state between life and death. Still other councils have repudiated the notion entirely. Similarly, the ethico-legal assessments are not uniform in their acceptance of brain-stem or whole-brain criteria for death, and consequently their conceptualizations of, brain death. Within the medical literature, and in the statements of Muslim medical professional societies, brain death has been viewed as sanctioned by Islamic law with experts citing the aforementioned rulings. Furthermore, health policies around organ transplantation and end-of-life care within the Muslim world have been crafted with consideration of these representative religious determinations made by transnational, legally-inclusive, and multidisciplinary councils. The determinations of these councils also have bearing upon Muslim clinicians and patients who encounter the challenges of brain death at the bedside. For those searching for 'Islamically-sanctioned' responses that can inform their practice, both the OIC-IFA and IOMS verdicts have palpable gaps in their assessments and remain clinically ambiguous. In this paper we analyze these verdicts from the perspective of applied Islamic bioethics and raise several questions that, if answered by future juridical councils, will better meet the needs of clinicians and bioethicists.

Conflict Management in Mindanao

This paper focuses on third party roles, including governments, NGOs, and international institutions, in managing the conflict between the Moro (Muslim) regions of Mindanao and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines since 1968. The case illustrates third party roles played by neighboring, friendly states in Southeast Asia and local, regional and international NGOs in upholding a cease-fire agreement and allowing negotiations to proceed with Malaysian facilitation. After examining briefly the sources of conflict in history, identity conflicts, religious beliefs, and economic and political marginalization of the Muslim minority community, the paper summarizes the role of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) represented successively by Libya, Indonesia, and Malaysia in brokering cease-fires and subsequent agreements to try to resolve the underlying conflicts. Primary focus is on the current role of the International Monitoring Team led by Malaysia and its Civilian Protection Component, composed largely of international and local NGOs, in implementing a cease-fire agreement after the most recent outbreak of violent conflict in 2008 that resulted from a ruling by the Philippines Supreme Court that rejected a negotiated agreement on - ancestral domains reached between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The subsequent violence proved deadly and produced a huge number of IDPs in Mindanao. The paper argues that the extensive conflict management network that has been put in place on the ground in Mindanao since this outbreak of violence plays a major, reinforcing role in confidence-building and preserving the cease-fire, a necessary condition for the successful pursuit of negotiations between the GRP and MILF, mediated by Malaysia on behalf of the OIC, in the search for a solution to the fundamental, long festering conflict.

EXPORTING BLASPHEMY RESTRICTIONS: THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE AND THE UNITED NATIONS

The 57 members of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have campaigned to ban criticism of Islam or Islamic governments through a UN Defamation of Religions Resolution This resolution seeks to redefine religious freedom as enforced respect for religion itself, and especially for Islam. Through it, the OIC is attempting to extend Islamic blasphemy restrictions to United Nations member states. Its passage would legitimize the idea that speech criticizing religious beliefs is a human rights violation rather than the exercise of a protected human right. Authorities from liberal democratic countries should oppose the resolution and defend freedom of expression.

La Ligue islamique mondiale en Europe : un instrument de défense des intérêts stratégiques saoudiens

In order to struggle against the growing influence in the Arab world of the secular nationalism promoted in Egypt by President Nasser, Saudi Arabia decided in the '60s to appear as a center of religious and ideological influence. The cornerstone of the hegemonic politics of Saudi Arabia for the world leadership of Islam was the creation, in 1962, of the Muslim World League. This organization was in charge of financing projects related to the development of Islam in the world. It is probably in Europe that the proselyte activities of the League are the most important. If the League holds a predominant position in the soft power politics of the Saudi kingdom, its mission is also to struggle against ideologies that are likely to threaten the stability of the regime. It funds projects of mosques construction, distributes Korans and brochures, organizes Islamic classes and conferences, hoping to create networks of clientele and of non-critical allegiances to the Saudi kingdom in the Muslim populations. The League advocates a heterogeneous salafism, which indeed resembles, at least on a dogmatic level, the salafism advocated by theologists of Saudi Arabia but dissociates itself from it on a social and a political level. Confronted to the multiplication of international risks (the Iraq War, al-Qaeda, Saudi jihadists...), the League takes part in a vast institutional ensemble "of protection of the Saudi throne, " like the Dar al Ifta, Council of the Saudi ulamas, which pledges allegiance to the authority and fight against anti-establishment Islamism and Islamic terrorism with its different fatwas. ?

Gold dinar for the Islamic countries?

The Malaysian state of Kelantan has made a historical launch of Gold Dinar and Silver Dirham on 12th August 2010. For the first time in almost 100 years since the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate, a Muslim government introduces Shariah currency. In the eyes of many Muslim scholars, the present interest-based fiat monetary system is flawed as it is incompatible with the objectives of the Islamic law or the Shariah. There have been calls for the resurgence of Islamic Gold Dinar (together with the silver dirham) as it is deemed to be the most appropriate medium of exchange to be used in the Islamic economies. Using data from 1970 to 2007, this paper assesses the empirical desirability of the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) countries to an alternative monetary system (Islamic Gold Dinar) that can potentially enhance the exchange rate stability and credibility. The Structural Vector Autoregression (VAR) method is employed to assess the nature of macroeconomic disturbances among the OIC countries. Specifically, the symmetry in macroeconomic disturbances of the OIC economies is examined as satisfying one of the preconditions for forming an Optimum Currency Area (OCA). In addition, this paper also investigates the output and price responses of OIC countries of the underlying structural shocks used to shed light on the suitability of these countries to form a monetary union. The preliminary findings of this study suggest the lack of broad linkages within the entire OIC, although there exists scope among some smaller clusters for potential monetary integration based on the symmetry of their business cycles.

Is Bosnia-Herzegovina Unsustainable? Implications for the Balkans and European Union

Two U.S.-based political geographers survey the current state of affairs in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH), characterized by increasing political tensions between its two constituent entities—the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republika Srpska (RS). The authors examine ways in which recurrent calls for a referendum on RS's self-determination/independence (from BiH) have charged the political atmosphere in both entities, delayed the formation of a central government in the aftermath of inter-entity elections in October 2010, and thus precipitated claims of BiH's unsustainability. In a concluding section, they explore the broader implications of renewed conflict and territorial fragmentation in BiH, which include the mobilization of seccessionist movements (and possible ethnic cleansing) in other contested regions in the Balkans and the former USSR and the possibility of renewed EU/NATO military engagement, with the attendant risks involving the EU's relations with Russia and member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. 1 figure, 2 tables, 38 references.

Spatial Patterns and Distribution of Disasters in the OIC Member Countries

Member countries of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) are exposed to a large number of natural and technological hazards, and many characteristics of these countries make them particularly vulnerable to the impacts of these hazards. As a result, most of the OIC member countries are among the most disaster-prone areas of the world and have experienced a significant number of disasters, human casualties, and economic losses during the past century. While studies have been done to map and describe the patterns of disasters at international and country levels, little research has examined disaster patterns and their distributions at the OIC level. A better understanding of such patterns and trends could help these countries to enhance mutual learning and sharing of experiences by creating common institutional frameworks. Hazard and disaster mapping is a critical step in determining the risk to populations, infrastructure, and economic activities. This article reviews and maps disasters and thei...

Islam dan Demokrasi di Malaysia: Hubungan Agama dan Negara yang Unik

Some Malaysian people has repudiated their country as an Islamic state. At the same time, the other people, especially Muslims, asserted that Malaysia already is and ought to be regarded such. The participation of Malaysia in Organization of the Islamic Conference and the enactment of syari’ah in its law system has evident in it self. From the discourse of Islamic politics, however, the Islamic state is not a monolithic concept. Interestingly, after the Pakatan Rakyat won many seats in parliament in 2008, politicians has paid attention on welfare state issues, not Islamic state, as a common denominator between Islamic party and secular party that has made a shared coalition to be an alternative from the National Front.