CSS Current Affairs | Realities Inhibiting OIC to Protect Palestinians’ Interests
The following question of CSS Current Affairs is solved by Hamail Syed under the supervision of Howfiv’s Pakistan Affairs and Current Affairs Coaches. She learnt how to attempt 20 marks question and essay writing from Sir Syed Kazim Ali, Pakistan’s best CSS and PMS English essay and precis teacher with the highest success rate of his students. This solved past paper question is attempted on the pattern taught by Sir to his students, scoring the highest marks in compulsory and optional subjects for years, and uploaded to help aspirants understand how to crack a topic or question, how to write relevantly, what coherence is, and how to include and connect ideas, opinions, and suggestions to score the maximum.
Outline
1- Introduction
2-A glimpse of the formation and aims of the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) and its current role
3-A bird’s-eye view of the Palestinian issue
4-Reasons behind the OIC’s ineffectiveness in protecting the legitimate interests of Palestinians
- ✓Internal conflicts among the Muslim states
- For instance, Lebanon and Algeria, allies of Iran, proposed preventing the export and import of oil to Israel. Still, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, allies of Saudi Arabia, opposed this proposal.
- ✓Prioritization of national interests over collective action.
- For example, Saudi Arabia is keen to have a formal relationship with the apartheid state, Israel, to get US arms supplies and to have its uranium enrichment facility.
- ✓Low intra-OIC trade
- Evidence: Mr Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the OIC, said that the OIC set a target to increase intra-OIC trade among its member states from 18% in 2021 to 25% by 2025.
- ✓Sectarian division among the Middle East nations
- For instance, the UAE and Bahrain, allies of Saudi Arabia, both prioritised their cooperation with Israel to contain the regional influence of Iran.
- ✓Economic declivity of the Muslim countries
- Evidence: The Global Hunger Index in 2015 highlights that 26 out of 46 OIC countries have a global hunger index above 20, which indicates a severe level of hunger.
5-Recommendations to empower the OIC to protect the legitimate interests of the Palestinians
- ✓To focus on the unity of the Muslim Ummah
- ✓To uplift the economic conditions of the Muslim states
5-Critical analysis
6-Conclusion
Answer to the Question
Introduction
Regardless of being the sole intergovernmental Muslim organisation, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) has failed to fortify the interests and rights of Muslims around the globe. Unfortunately, Muslims from all around the world have been entrapped in a vicious cycle of never-ending misery as they face the menace of extremism, Islamophobia, and human rights violations. The Muslims of Palestine are no exception, looking to the Muslim Ummah to take united action against Israel’s assault on Gaza. However, the OIC has failed to develop unity among the Muslim states. The Muslim countries, under the umbrella of the OIC, have been unable to take united action against the Israeli aggression on Gaza due to various factors. Now, delving into the core reasons that make OIC merely a talk shop when it comes to taking substantial action against aggressors in protecting the rights of Muslims in general and Palestinians in particular. The internal dispute among the Muslim countries, the sectarian divide, diverse political and economic goals, and economic declivity are some vital causes of the failure of the OIC. However, the OIC has the potential to create unity among the Muslim world and become an effective platform for safeguarding the rights and interests of Muslims, especially Palestinians. Indeed, the Muslim countries, by being resource-rich states, can use their power to secure the interests and freedoms of the subjugating Muslim brothers by evolving the true spirit of unity under the platform of the OIC by prioritising collective action against national interests and by fostering their economies.
A glimpse of the formation and aims of the Organization of Islamic Conferences (OIC) and its current role
To begin with, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is the world’s second-largest organisation after the United Nations (UN). Moreover, the OIC has 57 members, of whom 48 are Muslim-majority countries. It is pertinent to note that it was formerly known as the Organization of Islamic Conferences. The organisation was established when, on September 25, 1969, a decision was made at an Islamic summit that took place in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco, to form a Muslim organisation in reaction to the arson attack on the sacred mosque, Al-Aqsa. Now shedding light on the organisation’s goals, the OIC aims to secure Islamic values, promote unity among Muslim states, increase cooperation in economic, political, social, cultural, and scientific domains, ensure security, and maintain peace. Besides that, promoting modern education among the member states is also the goal of the OIC. In succession, delving into the current role of the organisation in preventing the Gaza genocide. Unfortunately, it acts as an old-fashioned talk shop only when it comes to protecting the interests of Muslims. For instance, the organisation has offered nothing more than rhetorical support to the Palestinians; it only condemns Israeli aggression in their emergency meetings while Palestinians in Gaza endure a relentless and brutal onslaught from Israel. This fact shows that the OIC has become ineffective in minimizing the miseries of the Palestinians in Gaza; even the organization cannot provide humanitarian aid to Gaza, undermining the aim of the OIC to safeguard the interests of the Muslims. Thus, the OIC has become only a talk shop when it comes to stopping Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
A bird’s-eye view of the Palestinian issue
In addition, it is imperative to understand the Israel-Palestine conflict from the beginning. The Israeli-Palestinian issue started with the Balfour Declaration, when Britain, after World War I, pledged to settle the Jewish people in Palestine on November 2, 1917. After that, a large number of Jews migrated to Palestine; the migration was accelerated during Nazism in Europe. Many revolts occurred in Palestine from 1936 to 1939 due to changes in state demography. When the matter was taken to the United Nations (UN) in 1947, the UN adopted Resolution 181, which demanded the partition of Palestine by granting 45% of the land to the Arabs and 55% of the land to the Jews. In contrast, it declared Jerusalem a separate internationalised area. Next to it, Israel was declared an official state in 1948, triggering the first Arab-Israel war. After that, many wars and conflicts happened between the Arabs and Israel; however, Israel expanded its control over almost the whole Palestinians’ land, making Gaza an open-air prison for Palestinians. Currently, Israel has been conducting genocide in Gaza since October 2023. Undeniably, Israel has launched one of the most destructive bombings on Gaza by targeting innocent civilians and destroying their infrastructure, which has caused a humanitarian crisis. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health Report, 2024, “In Gaza, more than 34,000 Palestinians were killed, and around 78,000 have been wounded in Israeli attacks. Israeli forces dropped approximately 75,000 tons of explosives on Gaza.” This fact indicates that Israel has started genocide in Gaza, leading to starvation, hunger, and the deaths of Palestinians. Hence, the Palestinians are suffering in Gaza due to Israeli aggression.
Reasons behind the OIC’s ineffectiveness in protecting the legitimate interests of Palestinians
To continue, Muslim leaders have only condemned Israel’s barbaric actions in Gaza, but they refuse to endorse punitive economic and political steps against the country over its ongoing atrocities in Gaza, making the organization ineffective in safeguarding the legitimate rights of the Palestinians. Indeed, there are several reasons behind the OIC’s role as an observer in the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza. Here, light has been shed on the causes that make the OIC ineffective in halting Israel’s attack on Gaza.
- Internal conflicts among the Muslim states
First, internal conflicts among the Muslim states are the main reason behind the OIC’s ineffectiveness. Unfortunately, there are about 57 Muslim states in the OIC, but they lack unity, making the organization a failed platform to end Muslim suffering. This is because all the Muslim states are at loggerheads with one another owing to geopolitical, economic, and security reasons. For example, the Saudi-Iran rivalry, the Saudi-Yemen conflict, and the Iran-Iraq war are manifestations of division among the Muslim states. This fact highlights that conflicts among the Muslim world have not only deteriorated the peace in the Middle East but also created a wide gap among the Muslim states, undermining the influential role of the OIC. Moreover, a lack of cohesion among the Muslim nations due to conflicts provides an opportunity for the West to further drive a wedge among the Muslim countries. For instance, a division among the Muslim states has allowed Israel to launch brutal attacks on Palestinians, knowing that Muslim countries cannot take any joint action against Israel. This fact signifies that disunity among the Muslim world has made Israel so audacious that it assaults Palestinians openly, ignoring the fact that Muslim countries surround it. In addition, disagreement among the Muslim nations acts as an obstacle to the working of the OIC to take joint action against Israeli aggression in Gaza. For example, Lebanon and Algeria, allies of Iran, proposed preventing the export and import of oil to Israel. Still, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, allies of Saudi Arabia, opposed this proposal. This fact indicates that the OIC member states have failed to develop any consensus to take strict action against Israel due to internal rivalry. Hence, the OIC has become ineffective in safeguarding the interests of Palestinians in Gaza.
- Prioritization of national interests over collective actions
Second, another vital cause of the organization’s inability to protect the legitimate interests of the Palestinians is that they prioritize their national interests over the collection goals of the Muslim world. Unfortunately, such an approach by Muslim countries to give more value to national interests causes internal division, undermining the OIC’s ability to act decisively on essential issues that affect the Muslim world. For example, Saudi Arabia is keen to have a formal relationship with the apartheid state, Israel, to get US arms supplies and to have its uranium enrichment facility. This fact shows that some influential members of the OIC normalize their relationships with Israel; as a result, they cannot take any action against Israel’s offence in Gaza, weakening the role of the OIC to secure the rights and interests of the Palestinians. Additionally, based on national interests, many members of the OIC have rejected the proposals to freeze diplomatic relations with Israel or prevent the transfer of US military equipment to Israel from bases in the Middle East, as well as to impose oil supply sanctions. Therefore, the OIC has proved to be an ineffective organization in solving the Palestinian issue due to the heterogeneous interests of the Muslim states.
- Low intra-OIC trade
Third, undoubtedly, economic cooperation binds the nations together, defending each other in difficult situations. Unfortunately, this economic cooperation is minimal among the OIC member states, highlighting a significant factor of division in the Muslim world. Mr Hissein Brahim Taha, the Secretary-General of the OIC, said that the OIC set a target to increase intra-OIC trade among its member states from 18% in 2021 to 25% by 2025. This fact signifies that 57 OIC member states have a trade volume of only 18%, even though the organization is the second largest globally. When countries are not economically bound, they have different political and economic interests, halting the unity among the states. On the flip side, the trade of OIC member countries, like the UAE and Turkey, with Israel is at its maximum. This is the main reason that these states are reluctant to take substantial action against Israel. For instance, the UAE has signed a free trade agreement with Israel to boost mutual trade. This fact depicts that due to social, political, and ideological differences, the OIC member states are more inclined to establish economic relations with Israel, thereby making the organization a failed body to shield the rights and interests of the Palestinians.
- Sectarian division among the Middle East nations
Fourth, sectarianism is the most crucial element that makes the OIC incompetent to shield the rights and interests of Palestinians. The organisation’s prosperity in the Middle East region depends on the relationship between Saudi Arabia and Iran. Unfortunately, the relationships between both states have remained tense since the emergence of the revolution in Iran. After that, sectarian clashes erupted between the two states based on Shia-Sunni ideology, increasing the proxy wars in the region. Further, it is due to sectarianism that the Saudi-Iran rivalry has escalated in the region, affecting the decision-making of the OIC. Indeed, the conflict between Riyadh and Tehran has divided the Middle East into two blocs. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Morocco have formed alliances with the US to counter the influence of Iran. Due to their alliance with the West, their foreign policy contradicts the charter of the OIC. For example, the UAE and Bahrain, allies of Saudi Arabia, both prioritized their cooperation with Israel to contain the regional influence of Iran. This fact indicates that sectarianism has divided the Muslim nation; as a result, they have indulged in suppressing each other instead of emerging as a unified force against Israel. Moreover, it is pertinent to highlight that in March 2023, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia agreed to re-establish their relationships after the discussions brokered by China; however, the impact of this deal is not very visible on the working of the OIC platform. In short, undeniably, this sectarian division among the Muslim nations halts the proper functioning of the OIC, making it a talk shop only, which cannot take substantial effort to protect the legitimate interests of the Palestinians.
- Economic declivity of the Muslim countries
Fifth, the OIC has become ineffective due to the poor economic condition of the Muslim states. As most Muslim countries are entrapped in the vicious cycle of economic declivity, they are unable to make the OIC a solid platform to safeguard the interests of the Muslim world. This is because poor economies have poor human resources, poor social service provision, and, ultimately, weak policies to tackle the challenges of the current time. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen, Syria, Lebanon, Sudan, etc., are economically poor states of the OIC. Moreover, the Global Hunger Index in 2015 highlights that 26 out of 46 OIC countries have a global hunger index above 20, which indicates a severe level of hunger. This fact highlights that most Muslim countries are economically backward, fighting poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, social disintegration, and political upheavals. Thus, they are unable to have their say in the world. Indeed, poor nations are not in a position to secure the interests of other nations, as they have to dance to the tones of foreign donors; Muslim countries are no exception. In a nutshell, the OIC is incapable of protecting the legitimate rights of the Palestinians because of the poor economic conditions of most of its member states.
Recommendations to empower the OIC to protect the legitimate interests of the Palestinians
OIC, the second-largest organization after the UN, undoubtedly has the potential to secure the interests of the Muslim world. Here, light has been shed on the solutions that can make the OIC an effective platform to safeguard Muslims’ rights.
- To focus on the unity of the Muslim Ummah
To begin with, the Muslim community needs to be united and shun their internal differences for the sake of the Muslim Ummah. Undeniably, the Muslim countries have the potential to stop the aggression of Israel against the innocent civilians of Gaza, as they control major waterways such as the Straits of Gibraltar, Malacca, and the Suez Canal. Furthermore, they produce two-thirds of the world’s oil, having the potential to make decisions internationally. Moreover, when Saudi Arabia and Iran, rich in energy resources, Turkey and Malaysia, technologically advanced nations, and Pakistan, a nuclear power state, join hands to tackle the issues of the Muslim world, the OIC can become an influential organization in securing the rights of the Muslims. Hence, Muslim states should recognize their potential and use it to uplift Muslim nations. To sum up, the Muslim countries should focus on creating unity among them to protect the legitimate interests of the Palestinians.
- To uplift the economic conditions of the Muslim states
Besides that, Muslim countries must get economically strong enough to protect the rights of other Muslim states. When the Muslim countries become united and have a robust economy, they are in a position to tackle issues in the Muslim world, such as Israel’s assaults on Palestine. For example, Pakistan, a nuclear power state, cannot use the OIC platform to stop Israeli bombardment on Gaza because of Pakistan’s poor economic conditions, which entrap the country in the menace of political instability, terrorism, poverty, and hunger, ultimately making the country powerless in the international arena. This fact indicates that economic prosperity is vital in securing nations’ interests. The US presents a glaring example of the interconnectedness of financial stability and political will. Thus, Muslim countries should focus on economic progress for the prosperity of the Muslim world and Palestinians in particular.
Critical analysis
Critically, the OIC, the main official body in the Islamic world, has been formed to foster unity among Islamic countries. Indeed, the OIC effectively settled many disagreements between Muslim countries. For example, Pakistan and Bangladesh established bilateral ties 1974 on the OIC recommendation. However, the organization failed to protect the interests of the Muslims at various stages; for example, the OIC could not take practical action in resolving the eight-year war between Iran and Iraq, nor could it take any measure against the American invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan. This fact signifies the organisation’s ineffectiveness in fortifying the interests of the Muslim world. Yet, despite the influential capacities of Muslim countries in terms of geographical location and mineral resources, this organization lacks a significant and influential role in global power relations. Unfortunately, the organization has never succeeded in promoting unity among Islamic countries or achieving notable success in solving the problems of Muslims worldwide. It has not resolved the issue of Palestine, nor has it come to the aid of Muslims in Gaza, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, nor has it demonstrated efficiency and effectiveness in addressing the problems of the Muslim states. Verily, the leaders of the 57 Islamic countries, members of the OIC, have all the tools and means to pressurize and confront Israel, even without direct military confrontation, as they can stop Israel’s deadly aggression in Palestine through political and economic means. Thus, they should focus on the unity and financial progress of the Muslim world to make the OIC a powerful organization that secures the interests of the Muslim world.
Conclusion
Conclusively, the organization has emerged as an ineffective and futile organization, as it has failed to protect the legitimate interests of the Palestinians since 2023. The Muslim countries are divided based on sectarianism, political interests, and national interests, undermining the aim of the OIC to defend the rights of the Muslim world. Besides that, Muslim states are entangled in the web of economic crisis, which further sabotages the ability of the OIC to act decisively in solving the problems of the Muslim world. Therefore, there is a dire need for the Muslim Ummah to get united and to become economically strong to secure their collective interests and minimize the miseries of the affected Muslim nations, like Palestinians.
CSS Solved Past Papers’ Essays
Looking for the last ten years of CSS and PMS Solved Essays and want to know how Sir Kazim’s students write and score the highest marks in the essays’ papers? Then, click on the CSS Solved Essays to start reading them.
CSS Solved Essays
CSS Solved General Science & Ability Past Papers
Want to read the last ten years’ General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers to learn how to attempt them and to score high? Let’s click on the link below to read them all freely. All past papers have been solved by Pakistan’s top CSS GSA coach having the highest score of their students.
General Science & Ability Solved Past Papers
