Organisation Of The Islamic Conference Research Articles

‘Forum of Necessity’: Using French Law’s ‘Juge d’appui’ in Foreign-Seated Arbitrations as a Cure for Denial of Justice

This article explains how French arbitration law enables a party to turn to the French courts for arbitrations seated outside of France, when faced with the risk of denial of justice. It describes the jurisdiction and role of the French ‘juge d’appui’ (or ‘supporting judge’), in preventing a denial of justice in arbitrations that bear no connection to France. An analysis of French arbitration law and jurisprudence demonstrates that the French supporting judge is an effective solution to prevent a denial of justice when the arbitration agreement does not provide for a supporting judge. juge d’appui, judge acting in support of arbitration, supporting judge, denial of justice, defaulting party, appointment of an arbitrator, constitution of the arbitral tribunal, jurisdictional immunity, Agreement on Promotion, Protection and Guarantee of Investments among Member States of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, OIC Treaty, Secretary General of the OIC, most favoured nation clause

Understanding Islamic aid flows to enhance global humanitarian assistance

In 2008 the then Organisation of the Islamic Conference established its own Islamic Cooperation Humanitarian Affairs Department (ICHAD) as an alternative to the OECD DAC. Subsequently, aid from ICHAD predominantly goes to Muslims. This is most likely because zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam and regarded as ibadah (worship), from which non-Muslims are excluded. As such, this paper will examine the theology and ethics of giving in Islam (zakat and sadaqa) and explore these aid flows and, and whether there is room for a more inclusive interpretation that can lead to greater integration and co-operation.

RELIGIOUS DIMENSIONS OF MALAYSIA’S WELLBEING INDEXES

Amongst the 57 members of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference’s (OIC) countries, Malaysia is at number one rating in the Islamicity Index, Islamic Index of Wellbeing and Global Muslim Travel Index studies. The rating gave the impression of the liveability or wellbeing in Malaysia within the Islamic sphere. This recognition prompts the study on the indicators of wellbeing that Malaysia has focused on Islamic dimensions. Consequently, content analysis was done on six selected government documents namely the Malaysian Wellbeing Index, the Malaysian Family Wellbeing Index, the Malaysian Urban-Rural National Indicators Network for Sustainable Development, the Malaysian Shariah Index, the Malaysian Ummah Development Index and the Muslim Religiosity and Personality Indexing. The study found that the first three documents embodied indirect religious dimensions in their wellbeing indexing while the latter three have direct religious dimensions. The incorporation of the religious dimensions into the Malaysia’s wellbeing indexing either directly or indirectly shows the relevancy of the religious factor to human wellbeing. Noticeably, the indicators promulgated under each study are organizationally-driven aiming at attaining their specific objectives that invariably led to variations amongst the agencies. Nonetheless, religion has been found to command a significant factor in the wellbeing of Malaysian though different indicators have been used by the six organizations to arrive at this fact. Keywords: Index, Malaysia, Religion, Quality of Life, Wellbeing.

Investment Arbitration under Multilateral Treaties in the Middle East

Arab claimants seeking to resolve their investment disputes in the Middle East have found variable success in identifying bilateral investment treaties under which to bring their claims. The recent surge in investment arbitration following the political upheavals in the region has prompted unlucky investors to seek out other instruments that provide access to investor-state dispute resolution. Two regional treaties, long dormant as investment instruments, have recently emerged as potential alternatives: the Unified Agreement for the Investment of Arab Capital in the Arab States; and the Agreement on Promotion, Protection and Guarantee of Investments among Member States of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. This article explores the dispute resolution processes, substantive protections, enforcement mechanisms, and availability of state claims and counterclaims under each treaty, as well as the reforms necessary to ensure their present and future viability.

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.

An Interfaith Dialogue on the Neglected Tropical Diseases

An Interfaith Dialogue on the Neglected Tropical Diseases

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...

The UN Defamation of Religions Resolution and Domestic Blasphemy Laws: Creating a Culture of Impunity

In Hate Speech Laws and Unintended Consequences, Richard N. Winfield and Janine Tien raise critical questions about the relationship between the state and religion. The authors focus on the Danish cartoon controversy as a representative example of the pitfalls and unintended consequences of hate speech and blasphemy laws; they argue that the global Danish cartoon controversy became as such largely because of the government’s entanglement in the affair – an entanglement that necessarily, even if unfortunately, flowed from the existence of hate speech and blasphemy provisions in its Criminal Code.The authors extend their analysis to Hungary and Japan, noting that each of these countries chose to accept a jurisprudential model that vigorously protects free expression. The courts in each of these countries recognized the slippery slope consequences of limiting one form of peaceful speech. While the contrast between these two countries and much of the rest of Europe provides important insight, an analysis of the unintended consequences of state control of speech would not be complete without a look at the United Nations Defamation of Religions Resolution (hereafter, “Resolution”) and its domestic counterparts in countries like Pakistan and Egypt. The argument that state control of speech produces unintended consequences is particularly exemplified in the case of the Resolution and blasphemy laws. Blasphemy law case studies from Pakistan and Egypt, whose representatives at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) have played a principal role in pushing the Resolution forward, help answer perhaps the most key Winfield and Tien question: “Is the state best suited to define, regulate, censor and punish the social injuries and verbal offenses of hate speech?”This paper briefly discusses the Danish cartoon controversy and the political implications of blasphemy and hate speech laws. Also included in this paper are two case studies on blasphemy laws in Egypt and Pakistan which explore the ways in which the laws of both countries are abused in order to restrict free speech by conflating blasphemy and political dissent. The possibility of repeal or reform is considered uncertain and unlikely in both countries, but in Pakistan especially where assassinations and intimidation have deterred law makers from pursuing legislation to repeal the laws. The paper also discusses the inherent problems posed by the broad language used in the UN Defamation of Religions Resolution which equates religion with race and the positive changes adopted in a new resolution this year which aim to protect individuals from victimization based on the ideas they hold rather than protecting ideas which cannot be proven or disproven. This paper concludes by answering the question “Is the state best suited to define, regulate, censor and punish the social injurises and verba offenses of hate speech?” and discusses the importance of civic responsibility, self-moderation, and the necessity of social rather than legal solutions to deal with divisive speech.

Malaysia "Punching Above Its Weight" ... And Finally Hitting the Target

Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohammad, crafted a threepillar strategy for Malaysia to punch above its weight and better secure its interests in the region. The first was through entrenching strong bilateral relationships with traditional security and economic partners such as America and Japan, in addition to a strong economic and diplomatic relationship with a rising China. The second was to use regional multilateral forums to engage and bind larger powers to agreed rules of engagement, hence enhancing the leverage of smaller Southeast Asian states; as well as to extend Malaysian influence within these forums. The third pillar was to enhance Malaysian regional and global influence by exercising leadership in non-traditional groupings; for example Malaysia's role in promoting South-South cooperation, relating to economic and technical cooperation amongst developing nations. Another was Malaysia's standing as one of the leaders within the fifty-seven member-state Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), which Malaysia chaired from 2003 to 2007. Although Malaysia did indeed punch above its weight, the most important factor for stability in a region filled with existing and emerging giants is still America. It is well known that almost all Southeast Asian countries are pursuing some variation of a grand hedging strategy against possible future Chinese mischief: benefit as much as possible from China's rise but also hedge against the possibility of a disruptive China in the future by supporting U.S. primacy and engagement in Asia.

Organisation of the Islamic Conference's Second Conference of Muslim Communities and Minorities in Africa (May 23–25, 2007)

Organisation of the Islamic Conference's Second Conference of Muslim Communities and Minorities in Africa (May 23–25, 2007)

Antithesis – the reconstruction of the African Union for a viable and sustainable solution for the unity of Africans

ABSTRACT Franz Fanon, the Algerian revolutionary of African descent, once declared: ‘Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfil it or betray it.’ The challenge confronting African researchers on matters related to the Afro-Arab borderlands – regions spanning Tchad, Niger, Mali, Mauritania and the Sudan where the African and Arab worlds meet – centre on resolving, reversing and undoing historical denials and inaccuracies. This article critically reviews the falsification of history in this part of Africa, in the Sudan in particular, and the role of the Arab League, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the Organisation of African Unity and its successor the African Union, in addressing the plight of its inhabitants. The article concludes with the recommendation of the creation of a new, culturally based Pan-African organisation able to fill a void and offer redress.

Science in the Muslim world

There are more than a billion Muslims in the world today – over a fifth of the world's total population – spread over many more than the 57 member states of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) in which Islam is the official religion. These include some of the world's wealthiest nations, such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, as well as some of the poorest, like Somalia and Sudan. The economies of some of these countries – such as the Gulf States, Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia and Pakistan – have been growing steadily for a number of years, and yet, in comparison with the West, the Islamic world still appears somewhat disengaged from modern science.

Package design and consumer memory

Packaging is an important determinant in purchase decisions and has a significant role in marketing. According to previous research, the position of the verbal and pictorial elements of a package affects the recall of those elements in left-to-right languages. It has been shown from psychological research on brain laterality that verbal elements are perceived from the right and pictorial elements from the left side of the package. We aim to assess whether the hypotheses are valid for right-to-left languages. This is imperative as many of the world's countries, mainly in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, have written languages with the right-to-left structure. According to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the combined population of Islamic countries is about 1.5 billion, which is about 22% of the world's; such a market size is worthy of substantial marketing research. This paper would be commendable for those who intend to export to these markets.

The Neglected Tropical Diseases and Their Devastating Health and Economic Impact on the Member Nations of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference

Founded in 1969, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is comprised of 57 nations that together represent the second largest international organization after the United Nations [1]. According to their Web site, the OIC serves as the “collective voice of the Muslim world,” both protecting its interests and settling conflicts and disputes between member states [1]. In addition to several important and prosperous oil- and gas-producing nations in the Middle East, the OIC nations also include some of the world's poorest countries as well as large middle-income countries with regions of great poverty (Figure 1). In these geographic areas of poverty are also found some of the highest infection rates and endemicity of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Shown in Table 1 is the estimated prevalence of six of the most common NTDs among the most populous OIC member states [2]–[8]. Each of the 28 countries listed has a population that exceeds 10 million people; together they account for more than 90% of the populations living in the OIC.

Gender, Interculturalism and Discourses on Women's Leadership in the Olympic Movement

This paper addresses Western discourses relating to the role of women in the leadership of Olympic and elite sporting bodies in two contrasting non-western contexts, namely in selected Muslim countries (i.e. Member States of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference) and in the People's Republic of China. The two cases are selected because they reflect contrasting contexts in which the role of women is seen to be embedded in very different ideologies, often referred to simplistically as a religious, and a political ideology respectively. The data through which we scrutinise these two cases are derived from two separate studies. The first is an evaluation study of IOC policy Women in Leadership in the Olympic Movement. In 1996 the IOC adopted a set of minimum targets in relation to the proportion of executive decision-making positions in National Olympic Committees and International Federations which women should hold (10% by 2000, and 20% by 2004). This paper draws on an evaluation of the achievement of these targets commissioned by the IOC from Loughborough University. We focus here on the representation of Muslim women in NOC Executive Committees. The vehicle for discussing the second case is an on-going study of the role of women in state and Olympic sport organisations in China, which has involved case studies of women in senior positions in the Chinese system.

Assessing the human tragedy in Iraq

AbstractBefore a framework can be set for efforts centred on human security to combat chaos, instability and insecurity in conflict areas, the human tragedy in those areas must be understood and discussed. This article analyses the human tragedy in Iraq and shows that it extends beyond our current perception of the situation. The war has led to the loss of lives and social capital, and has destroyed the Iraqi infrastructure. This substantially lowers the quality of life, leads to the inability to provide essential services and renders state-building activities even more difficult. In line with the policy of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the article also emphasizes the need for reconciliation between the various groups in Iraq, an end to sectarian tensions and the preservation of the country's territorial unity as the ultimate resolution of the Iraqi question.

Les droits fondamentaux en pays arabo-musulmans

The very large «open list» of fundamental rights that we have in Europe can only be shared with difficulty with countries belonging to another area of civilisation like Arab-Muslim countries. However Muslim jurisconsults have retained as early as the VIIth century a certain number of fundamental rights such as the respect of life, of human beings, of human dignity, and the dismissal of constraint in religion. More recently the Organisation of the Islamic Conference has multiplied Islamic declarations of human rights inspired from the Universal Declaration of 1948. But all these rights, regarded as gifts of God, can only be exercised in accordance to the content of the law He has given to men, the Charï’a. It still occupies a prominent place in the legal order of Arab and Muslim countries, especially in those proclaiming to be Islamic states (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Soudan, …). All must respect its dispositions and especially the ones which establish a discriminatory regime towards women and nonmuslims and restrictions to the freedom of conscience. This obviously results in a noticeable reduction of the number of fundamental rights recognised in these countries, and at any case in the limitation of their exercise.

Transnational religious actors and international politics

This article generally examines the phenomenon of transnational religious actors and seeks to assess the claim that their activities can undermine state sovereignty. It starts from the premise that globalisation facilitates the growth of transnational networks of religious actors. Feeding off each other's ideas and perhaps aiding each other with funds, they are bodies whose main priority is the well-being and advance of their transnational religious community. The article focuses upon two specific transnational religious actors: the Roman Catholic Church and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference. It concludes by noting that, like Islamic radicals, the Catholic Church has been influential in some national contexts in helping undermine the hegemony of authoritarian governments, but that this should not be seen as a more general threat to state sovereignty.

Adem Handžic: Population of Bosnia in the Ottoman period: a historical overview, [iv], 42 pp. Istanbul: Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, 1994. - Amir Pašić: Islamic architecture in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Transl. by Midhat Ridjanović. (Studies on the History and Culture of Bosnia and Hercegovina, no. 2.) 259 pp.

Adem Handžic: Population of Bosnia in the Ottoman period: a historical overview, [iv], 42 pp. Istanbul: Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and the Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture, 1994. - Amir Pašić: Islamic architecture in Bosnia and Hercegovina. Transl. by Midhat Ridjanović. (Studies on the History and Culture of Bosnia and Hercegovina, no. 2.) 259 pp.