The Biography of the Author The book that I review wrote by Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu.

This book was publishing by Hurst& Company in year 2010. Before I review this book, let take a look at biography of the author. Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu was born in Cairo, Egypt in 1943. He received his Bac.Science at Ain Shams University in 1966.He obtained his master degree in chemistry in 1970. He get his Ph.D. studies at Ankara University, Turkey in 1974 and after that he did his post-doctoral research from 1975 to 1977 as a research fellow at University of Exeter, the United Kingdom. He became a founding Director General of the Research Centre for Islamic History, Culture and Arts (IRCICA) in Istanbul in 1980. IRCICA is organization under OIC. He became the ninth OIC Secretary General in 2005 and he was the first Secretary General that has been elected by majorities of Members of OIC. The Introduction This book entitles The Islamic World in The new Century: The Organization of the Islamic Conference. It contains nine chapters and each chapter showed the development of Islam of The Islamic Conference (OIC). It was written by Prof. Dr. Ekemeleddin Ihsanoglu. This book contains about 327 pages which is very long journey to finish it. Before I proceed much further we should now what is OIC. OIC stands for Organization of the Islamic Conference but later these day it has changed its name to Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

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Summary The first chapter discuss about Historical background of Muslim world before the establishment of OIC. It also has stated how Muslim from around the world tries to solve issues by having for example Cairo Congress in 1924. So from 1920s until 1950s we can see that Muslim leaders have gathered to settle the issues that happen in Muslim world. In the second chapter we can see about the foundation of OIC in 1969. The event that trigger is was the burning of al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem by the Jews. In the second chapter also the writer talks about Arab-Israeli war. We can see in few early foreign ministers Islamic Conference; they discussed a lot about how to liberate Jerusalem from Jews. Later on, in this chapter we can see the development of OIC by the establishment of few subsidiary organs, and also affiliated and specialize institution that can help the development of OIC countries. Also we can see in this chapter is the evolving OIC into a systematic organization can help Muslim countries in different aspect such as socio-economic perspectives. In the third chapter, author emphasize on reform of OIC. It begins in 1982 in Niamey where OIC adapt a resolution to reform OIC in order to work smoothly and cater a bigger frame. They review all of job scope of OIC agencies. How to reform OIC? We look as the author said Muslim leadership has to identify the challenge at first before find a solution. However in this chapter it discuss more on history of reform process such Riyadh resolution and also Strategy of Joint Islamic Action which is related to Makkah and Taif Declaration and the economic plan of action. The interesting part of this chapter, author did mention about weaknesses of OIC such as financial problems that affect to the General Secretariat and its subsidiary organs.

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Chapter four entitle reform and renewal and review of charter. In this chapter we can see that OIC has democratically voted their OIC General Secretariat which is first time OIC State members voted this position should be vote not appointed. Which is the author of this book Prof. Dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has become the ninth Secretary General of OIC in 2005.So, we can see in this chapter writer of this book which is also The OIC Secretary General. We can see that he tried to reform OIC to become a better structure by restructuring back OIC and its Charter. He also highlighted challenges that Muslim in 21st Century to face. Later on, OIC come up with a preparation of Ten- year programme of Action that begins in 2005. The objective of this plan is to reform and to develop Muslim world to a better situation in a different aspect such as economic, education, Muslim right and others. Also OIC review back its charter that established in 1969. It has resulted the birth of Executive Committee of the OIC Troikas. Troika is a method used by other organizations to make system run smoothly. In the fifth chapter the author emphasize on role of OIC to promote peace and resolution of conflict. It has discussed it expanded strategies which contain about 8 points for example develops cooperation with United Nations (UN). OIC also try to find a mechanism to create peaceful relationship between Muslim world and the west. In this chapter also author has discuss some OIC action to some political problems in Muslim world such as problem in Palestine where their land has taken by Israeli. In this chapter also had mentioned how OIC try to help country like Bosnia, Afghanistan and Somalia by collaborating and pressure the United Nations because UN is a major political power in this world. In chapter six, book discuss about problem that happen to Muslim minorities and Muslim communities around the world. For example, the case of Muslim minorities in Bulgaria, where they have to change their name into Christian name although they are Muslim. Few others
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problems happen such as Moro people in southern Philippines, Muslim in Thailand and also problem that faces by 23 million Muslim in China. Why this is happening? It is happen because Muslim in these places did not get freedom for practicing religion and they did not have so much power to change situation that happen. So, OIC has become a pressure group to force for authority of these countries in order to help Muslim minorities. The next chapter writer discusses a very important issue which is Islamophobia which became a very dangerous threat to world peace. We have been give imagination that how western people hate us as Muslim, they doing massacre like what happen in Balkan where Muslim in Balkan were killed in mass. The triggering cause of Islamophobia has been expanded since the event of September 11 2001. Since then Anti Islam mindset has already spread across of Europe and in 2004, the killing of director of Dutch Film Maker for spreading Fitnah in his movies has added some spices to this Islamophobia. Later on, Danish cartoon maker has insult Muslim from all over the world with their cartoon that cynically Insult especially Prophet Muhammad S.A.W and also about Islam itself. The chapter number eight discuss about the development of Muslim countries nowadays. Are we develop is good pace or a slow pace? The answer is we were left behind in this globalization era. The natural disaster has effecting for some Muslim countries development. This chapter also discusses about humanitarian mission to help disaster victim, the issue of human right, the issue of status of women and last but not least it touch the issue of sciences and technology. For example the case of natural disaster is happen in Acheh during 2004, which is Bandar Acheh hit by tsunami. Many lives were lost and as we know Achehs majority is Muslim. Next issue were debated is issue of protecting the right of Muslim women. This issue led to first conference on Muslim and their role in the development of Muslim Society. For issue science
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and technology also were discussed because nowadays Muslim countries need to keep up in science and technology in order to compete with the Non-Muslim Countries. In this chapter also, writer tackle the issue of education and we can see how countries under OIC responded, for example Qatar allocate US$2 Billion for scientific research. In the last chapter of this Book the writer discuss about Economic and Commercial Cooperation. The first General Agreement on Economic, Technical and Commercial Cooperation was approved in the Eight Islamic Conference of Foreign Minister in Tripoli 1971. The idea is to facilitate among OIC members. The most important things discuss in this chapter the establishment of Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation (COMCEC) in 1981. This chapter also discuss about poverty alleviation around OIC countries, how OIC can be the medium to change it because as we all know most of OIC members come from third world countries. Also we know about cooperation between OIC countries in tourism, and also Cotton programmes that can be a major contributor in economic development. After reading trough this whole book, author had explained about OIC in very precise fact. It begins with chronological order which the main reason of the establishment of OIC and later on development of OIC itself as major organization for Muslim countries. The book also discuss problem and challenges of OIC so from this perspective, Im impressed that author of this book was not bias although he is the secretary General of OIC. Why I say he not bias? It is because he presents the weaknesses and challenge of OIC. Moreover, he also did not critic much about western side. He balanced the idea and criticism. He represents the ideas so well and we can understand it in very good way.

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Criticism It is a very good book to be admitted by whoever reading it we have a lot of information about OIC in this book but it has some weaknesses, for example the explanation is too wordy that make whoever read it easily fall asleep. The writer should explain more in point, for example objective of ten year programme. The writer also put some more things that easy to visualize such number, graph, diagram and fancy things that make us a reader want to read more the book. Now I would to put some of criticism towards OIC. Although OIC has about 57 countries members, still OIC did not have so much power to change to rule has been set up by United Nations. Yes OIC has become a pressure group for world force but the effect is less. For example in the case of Danish Cartoon, although OIC has press more to Danish government but they take it lightly. The next is, when I review this book, I see a lot of point that stated about ten-year programmes of Action but still there in no specific chapter that discuss about this programmes. So I cannot really understand what the function of ten year programmes is. I believe this ten year programmes is a very good programmes but writer should explain more about this ten year programme. Writer can put it in a point the objective of this programme. About the structural of OIC, it is suggested if writer can make a diagram of structure of OIC, so readers can understand more the structure of OIC in a respective manner. Although the function of every structural organization of OIC has been explain in appendix page still the diagrams structure of OIC need to be put the make readers clearly understand.
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Conclusion As for conclusion, this book taught me a lot of things about OIC. I can see clearly about the challenge that Muslim world have to face nowadays; we were still leaves behind by western world. I also see although OIC represent 57 of Muslim countries but it is hard to say that we have the power to change the views of the world about us, because between Muslim Countries itself we have a division because a different sect of Islam, different opinion and others. In order to make us stronger, all Muslim world must give a full of cooperation to contribute to the betterment of Ummah.

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