Over the past decade stronger strategic cooperation between the USA and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on peace and security, especially in relation to countering terrorism and extremist ideology has been witnessed. They both emphasized the significance of dissociating terrorism from religion in enhancing the strategic partnership between the US and the OIC so as to impede extremist ideology. The beginning of Islamophobia had created a “false truth” in substantiating the agenda of terrorists, permitting a misleading psyche to prevail via the association of terrorism with religion.
The relationship between the two was priceless, given the magnitude and complexity of global challenges. Among many such initiatives, the OIC developing chronologies to counter extremist ideologies by elevating credible and authentic religious voices advocating tolerance and non-violence. Cooperation between the OIC and the USA was important on all fronts of the war against terrorism and violent extremism. Despite considerable success in the fight against ISIL/Da’esh and its diminishing online propaganda, the group still exerted a significant pull over young people.
Recently, an inaugural Strategic Dialogue between the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and the United States of America (US) was undertaken on 23 May 2022 in Washington, DC. The schedule of discussions held between the two sides over two days includes many subjects and topics of common interest.
On the first day, problems related to the situation in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and the fight against terrorism and extremism, were examined. In his opening speech, the OIC Secretary-General, H.E. Mr Hissein Brahim Taha, stressed that the first round of strategic discussion with the US comes at a time when the world is facing tremendous challenges that require maintaining dialogue, cooperation and solidarity in order to preserve peace, security and understanding and encourage development.
The Secretary-General commented that the OIC encourages its Member States to engage in dialogue, defuse tensions and conflicts, and settle them by peaceful means. The OIC calls for advancing the values of moderation and tolerance and encouraging dialogue among civilizations.
The Secretary-General stressed that the Palestinian problem remains the central issue of the OIC as it supports the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people and works for reaching a two-state solution, highlighting at the same time that the OIC is committed to restoring peace, security and tranquillity in Afghanistan, and the Sahel and Lake Chad Basin countries. He added that the OIC has consistently provoked dialogue to resolve crises in Yemen, Libya, Somalia and Sudan, and protects the rights of Muslim communities and minorities in non-member States, including the Rohingya.
In his speech, H.E. Mr Hissein Brahim Taha suggested that the priorities of the OIC also include fighting violent extremism and terrorism, working to advance human rights, empowering women, the elderly, children, and people with special needs, as well as the position of youth in society, in addition to the fields of economy, trade, science and technology and tourism.
H.E. the Secretary-General was escorted on his visit to Washington by a number of Assistant Secretaries-General, the Secretary-General of the International Islamic Fiqh Academy (IIFA) and the advisor to the President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).
