It is defining moment for the Muslim Word. The 2.1 billion strong Muslim community in its fourteen hundred years history is confronted with toughest ever challenges. Many a Muslim countries with glorious history are war ravaged. Many tormented with violence. Poverty, famine, disease and illiteracy have sucked a substantial portion of the population. Schism and sectarianism has been sapping the energies of this community that has the potential of changing the word order and providing stronger edifice for a peaceful and just society.
The Organization of Islamic Conference, renamed as Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) representing fifty-seven Muslim Countries was founded with the objective of bringing in greater understanding and cooperation in the Muslim World. The organization for many influential member countries failing to work in tandem and adopting a unanimous approach towards the common challenges has not been able to do much during past forty years. In 2011, the organization was renamed at the foreign ministers meet in Astana, Kazakhstan.  At this  meeting, Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu announced an ambitious 10-year plan calling for bringing about reforms in the member states and working for resolution of conflicts like Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq and Kashmir. The Secretary General also spoke about the ‘dire need to concretize   to speed up the process of concretizing the peoples’ aspiration to good governance, the rule of law, human rights, broader political participation and broadly building a democratic temperament in the Muslim world. The ten-year action plan under changed avatar has generated a hope that the organization would reinvent its role in confronting the challenges faced by the community. The organization under its new avatar is expected to provide leadership to the teeming millions suffering fratricide, terrorism, intimidation and poverty.
I had sought papers from over two dozen experts on the subjects but only a few responded. Some sent their old writings on the subject but relevant for incorporating in the issue. The objective is to generate a debate on the role that this organization is expected to play. The online issue will be updated as more write-ups are received.

Muslim Population is increasing at 1.84%.
The Muslim population in 2012 is 2013.62 Million. = 2.1 Billion