The failure of Muslim states to act collectively in crises ranging from Afghanistan to Gaza is rooted in a complex web of prioritised national interests, deep internal divisions, economic dependence on Western powers, and the structural inefficiency of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Despite being the second-largest international organisation after the United Nations, the OIC has largely functioned as a “talk shop”, issuing strong condemnations while failing to take concrete political or economic action, such as suspending ties with Israel.
Two of the most pressing crises in the Muslim world today are Palestine and the archaic, fundamentalist regime of the Taliban in Afghanistan. On both issues, Arab and Muslim countries have been conspicuously silent, both individually and collectively. The principal Muslim multilateral body, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, has been loud in rhetoric but woefully short on serious or tangible action.
Headquartered in Saudi Arabia, the OIC is composed of 57 member states and describes itself as “the collective voice of the Muslim world”. According to its stated aims and objectives, it is meant to act as a representative and consultative body, capable of making decisions and recommendations on major issues affecting Muslim societies globally. In practice, however, it has increasingly appeared as a toothless tiger.
This has been most evident during Israel’s relentless and brutal assault on the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attacks of 7 October 2023. The OIC has condemned Israeli actions, called for an immediate ceasefire, and urged the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza’s starving population. It has opposed Israeli plans to annex Gaza or the West Bank, warning that such moves would render the two-state solution effectively defunct. The organisation has also welcomed France’s decision to recognise the State of Palestine, as well as a recent statement by the foreign ministers of 28 countries, including the UK, EU states, and Japan, calling for an immediate ceasefire.
In an increasingly polarised international system, fierce rivalries among member states, as well as competing alignments with major powers such as the United States and China, have reduced the OIC to little more than a debating club
Yet all of this remains largely verbal and devoid of practical measures. Muslim nations can and should do far more for Palestine. For a start, collective pressure could be exerted on neighbouring states such as Egypt and Jordan to fully open border crossings to allow unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza and the West Bank. The OIC has also failed to persuade Egypt, Jordan, the UAE, Sudan, and Morocco to suspend diplomatic relations with Israel until it commits to a genuine two-state solution.
Moreover, the organisation has not adopted calls by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, for Israel to be suspended from the United Nations. Nor has it urged oil-rich Arab states to act collectively to pressure the United States to halt arms supplies to Israel or compel Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to end its onslaught on Gaza.
A similar pattern of failure is evident in Afghanistan. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has ruled through an exceptionally repressive, misogynistic, and draconian interpretation of Islam that finds no parallel anywhere else in the Muslim world. Despite this, the OIC has failed to exert meaningful pressure on the Taliban regime.
In December 2022, OIC Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha called for global action to unite Islamic scholars and religious leaders against the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education. A month later, the organisation expressed concern over restrictions on women, but simultaneously urged the international community not to “interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs” — a position warmly welcomed by the Taliban authorities in Kabul.
No practical steps have been taken. The Taliban regime has not been censured, nor have any sanctions been imposed. While no Muslim country has formally recognised the Taliban government, with Russia being the only state to do so, most OIC members continue to engage with the regime politically, economically, and diplomatically.
The OIC’s ineffectiveness stems from several factors. Its membership comprises a politically, socially, culturally, and economically diverse group of states. More critically, however, the organisation has failed to function as a bridge-builder by developing a shared strategy capable of overcoming geopolitical rivalries and sectarian divisions.
In an increasingly polarised international system, fierce rivalries among member states, as well as competing alignments with major powers such as the United States and China, have reduced the OIC to little more than a debating club. This paralysis has allowed extremist actors in both Israel and Afghanistan to operate with near-total impunity.
It is long overdue for the OIC to reassess its purpose and effectiveness. This moment could serve as an opportunity for its member states to develop a coherent and enforceable collective strategy — one that moves beyond rhetoric and contributes meaningfully to peace, stability, and justice within the Muslim world and in its relations with the wider international community.