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Context: India has lashed out at the Organisation of the Islamic Cooperation for being "communal minded" amid the Karnataka hijab row.

What is the issue?

• OIC has called on the UN Human Rights Council to take “necessary measures” on the issue of Muslim girl students being told not to wear the hijab in Karnataka schools.
• OIC also urged India to “ensure the safety, security and wellbeing of the Muslim community while protecting their way of life” and bring to justice the “instigators and propagators of violence and hate crimes” against Muslims.

India’s response:

• India is a democracy, and issues within the country are resolved “in accordance with our Constitutional framework and mechanism, as well as democratic ethos and polity.
• OIC is hijacked by vested interests (Pakistan) to further their nefarious propaganda against India”.

What is the OIC?

• About: It is the world’s second largest multilateral body after the UN.
• Membership: It counts 57 members, all of which are Islamic countries or Muslim majority members. India is not a member of OIC.
• India’s position: India's relationship with Pakistan has always been tense and has a direct impact on India-OIC relations, with Pakistan being a founding member of the OIC. The reason for opposition to India's entry into the OIC cited by Pakistan is due to the human rights issues and problems faced by the Kashmiris in the Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
• Objective: To safeguard and protect the interests of the Muslim world in the spirit of promoting international peace and harmony among various people of the world.
• It was established by the First Islamic Summit Conference held in Morocco in September 1969.
• It was known as the Organisation of Islamic Conference until 2011.
• It has permanent delegations to the United Nations and the European Union.

India & OIC

• India has world’s second largest Muslim community, but not a member of OIC.
• Why India did not join?
  • Secular state: Earlier India stayed away from joining OIC because it is a secular country, it did not want to join an organisation founded on religion.
  • Pakistan factor: The OIC is mainly controlled by Saudi Arabia, but Pakistan, as the only Islamic country with nuclear weapons, has had a large say since its inception.
  • Kashmir issue: OIC have been supportive of Pakistan and critical of Indian “atrocities”. India has consistently underlined that J&K is an “integral part of India and is a matter strictly internal to India”, and that the OIC has no locus standi on the issue.
• Changing terms: India is building close ties with powerful members such as UAE and Saudi Arabia. In 2019, India made its maiden appearance at the OIC Foreign Ministers’ meeting, as a “guest of honour”.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-what-is-oic-and-why-did-india-slam-the-grouping-7776472/

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