WHILE founded on the noble aims of promoting fraternity amongst Islamic nations and speaking up for the rights of Muslims across the globe, the OIC has been known more for its inaction where the suffering of the world’s Muslims is concerned.

Despite counting as its members powerful sheikdoms awash in petrodollars, as well as those boasting militaries of considerable might, the OIC has mostly remained a spectator in the global arena, issuing meek statements and powerless resolutions in the face of brutal human rights abuses targeting Muslims. The crises of Palestine, Bosnia, the Rohingya and Kashmir, amongst others, are all testimony to this.

However, despite its ineffectiveness, would it be prudent for Pakistan to sever ties with the multilateral body, as suggested by former Senate chairman Raza Rabbani in the upper house on Friday?

“The bubble of an Islamic ummah has burst,” said the veteran lawmaker with regard to the OIC’s silence on the fresh violence in India-held Kashmir. He very rightly went on to point out the actions of some of the ‘stalwarts’ of the OIC — particularly the Gulf Arabs — who have awarded, pampered and showered Narendra Modi with multibillion dollar deals in the aftermath of the scrapping of Kashmir’s autonomy by Delhi.

While the sad fact is that Kashmiris today stand largely alone in their uphill battle for rights against India, it would be imprudent for Pakistan to leave the OIC in a huff.

The world’s — specifically the ummah’s — silence on Kashmir is condemnable. However, now more than ever, Pakistan must play a leading role to shake the OIC out of its slumber and realise the gravity of the situation in Kashmir as well as other trouble spots in the world where Muslims are suffering grave human rights abuses.

As stated above, the situations in Palestine and Kashmir, as well as with the Rohingyas and Uighurs, are incredibly grim, and require a concerted and firm voice from the OIC. Moreover, the monster of Islamophobia threatens millions of peaceful Muslims the world over, targeted by bigots due to the actions of a tiny minority of militants. Alone, Pakistan’s will be merely a voice in the wilderness. But by remaining within the OIC, it can convince the body to take a clear position to stand with the weak and the oppressed of the world, and respond with the collective diplomatic and socio-political clout of the Muslim world to global crises.

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2019