tions such as the United Nations and the Arab
League. Although newly decolonized Muslim
countries had long been aware of the pan-Islamic
notion of a united community (umma) of the faith-
ful, they lacked a means by which to establish a
common bond or collectively exert their influ-
ence in global affairs in the 20th century. This
situation changed considerably when the secular
Arab nationalist movement under the leadership
of Jamal abd al-nasir (d. 1970) lost its credibility
as a result of the shocking victory of Israel over
Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli
war. At the same time many governments in Mus-
lim countries feared the spread of socialism and
commUnism, especially among newly urbanized
populations and youth.
Saudi king Faysal ibn abd al-aziz (d. 1975),
a life-long opponent of the secular Arab national-
ist movement and communism, spearheaded an
international effort to promote solidarity among
Muslim countries and create an international
organization with a specifically Islamic identity.
The loss of JerUsalem to Israel and a failed attempt
to burn down the aqsa mosqUe by an Australian
evangelical Christian in August 1969 helped King
Faysal convince enough Muslim leaders to con-
vene a summit meeting in Rabat in 1969. This led
to several follow-up meetings and finally a charter
issued in February 1972. It had 25 founding mem-
ber states, including Pakistan, Malaysia, Turkey,
Iran, Indonesia, Afghanistan, Chad, and Niger, in
addition to saUdi arabia and Morocco.
The OIC, which has its main headquarters
in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, resembles the UN in its
organization. It has a permanent Secretariat and
five standing committees that specialize in social,
cultural, economic, and financial affairs. There are
also a number of other OIC subsidiary institutions
and affiliates located in several Muslim countries,
ranging from Turkey to Uganda, Bangladesh, and
Malaysia. These organizations include universi-
ties, a research center, media organizations, a
chamber of commerce, a fiqh academy, and even a
sports federation for the Islamic Solidarity Games.
The OIC has held 10 summit meetings for heads
of state since 1969, plus three extraordinary
sessions. The last of the extraordinary sessions,
convened in 2005, dealt with the controversial
cartoons of mUhammad that were published in
Danish newspapers in September of that year. In
addition to the summit meetings the OIC also
holds annual meetings for the foreign ministers of
member states. Recent meetings have been held
in Karachi (2007), Baku (2006), Sanaa (2005),
Istanbul (2004), and Tehran (2003).
The work of the OIC has centered on politi-
cal matters rather than on religious affairs, and
Saudi influence is significant. The OIC has sought
to have a voice in resolving arab-israeli con-
Flicts, the Iraq-Iran war of 1980–88, the Bosnian
crisis, the status of kashmir, and recent issues
pertaining to the threat of Islamic radicalism, the
Israeli-Lebanese war of 2006, the reconstruction
of aFghanistan, and Darfur. On the issue of the
U.S. occupation of iraq and its consequences,
it has recently resolved to affirm the territo-
rial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq, calling for
greater participation by neighboring countries and
international agencies in its reconstruction. It has
also condemned terrorist attacks on civilians. On
specifically religious affairs, its most important
achievement has been to establish quotas for the
number of pilgrims each country can send for the
annual haJJ to mecca.
See also arab-israeli conFlicts; bosnia and
herzegovina; Federation oF islamic organiza-
tions; gUlF Wars; pan-islamism.Further reading: Robert R. Bianchi, Guests of God:
Pilgrimage and Politics in the Islamic World (Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2004); Golam W. Choudhury,
Islam and the Contemporary World (London: Indus
Thames, 1990); Saad S. Khan, Reasserting International
Islam: A Focus on the Organization of the Islamic Con-
ference and Other Islamic Institutions (Karachi: Oxford
University Press, 2001).Organization of the Islamic Conference 535 J