The Islamic World in the New Century: The Organization of the Islamic Conference, 1969-2009 (review)

After the collapse of the bipolar system, a serious debate in the international arena to shape the new international order began. Scholars of international relations theory sought to provide a macro theory. In the context of this debate, "hard power" continues to be of major significance. However, "soft power" is extremely important as well. Soft power focuses attention on the way that rules, norms, institutions, and international organizations are created, and also on the way that many demands and goals will be pursued.

Over the past two decades, Islam has been factored into the global power equation. The role that Islam has played in the global power equation can be seen in the performance of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). In The Islamic World in the New Century, Ekmelleddin Ihsanoglu analyzes the Muslim world from the viewpoint of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. The author is the ninth, and first democratically elected, Secretary General of the OIC. The author believes that we can see the embodiment of the Umma in the OIC.

The book is divided into nine chapters. In the first chapter, the author reviews the historical background of the OIC. In the second chapter, he examines the foundation and consolidation of OIC from 1969-2004. Four subsequent chapters analyze topics such as the history of reform, a review of the charter, the OIC's role in the promotion of peace and the resolution of conflicts in the Muslim world, and problems facing Muslim communities and minorities in Bulgaria, Philippines, Greece, Myanmar, Thailand, and China. The seventh chapter, entitled "Islamophobia: a Threat to Global Peace," explains that "one of the most formidable challenges of today's civilized world is the emergence of Islamophobia and discrimination against Muslims in the West" (p. 143). The author offers examples of major Islamophobic incidents, such as the Danish cartoons and the Dutch film Fitna controversies. The author also discusses the OIC's efforts to foster close ties with the United Nations and other international organizations, at both the bilateral and multilateral levels in order to combat Islamophobia. The eighth chapter explores the OIC's building of institutional mechanisms for development in the era of globalization, humanitarian disaster relief, good governance, the status of women, and human rights. The ninth chapter examines economic and commercial cooperation among OIC members, drawing upon statistical indicators. In the epilogue, the author asserts that the OIC has experienced significant changes over the past five years, such as the adoption of a new charter, which has opened new horizons for the organization. He argues that the consequences of those changes can be seen in solidarity in action. At the end of the book there are useful appendices that offer good knowledge for readers.

The book renders a comprehensive understanding of the history and activities of the OIC. A major drawback, however, is that it uses the concept of the "Muslim world" to describe Islamic countries though there are different views in Muslim countries about the role of religion in areas such as politics, economics, and culture. It should also be noted that an international organization's prospects for success is enhanced when its members, unlike the OIC's, have similar levels of development — a point that escapes the author's notice.

The main positive aspect of the book is the author's direct experience in the recent development of the organization, which lends insight and authority to his discussion of the history of the organization. The work is a significant contribution to the literature on the OIC and to the study of the Islamic world, and therefore will be of great value to those who are interested in the relations between Muslim countries and the West.