The 57-member OIC (Organization of Islamic Cooperation at the UN has adopted a statement demanding that all non-Muslim countries show a higher level of respect for Islam, its personalities (even the paedophile prophet Mohammed), and Islamic symbols such as hijabs, suicide vests, mega-mosques, prayer rugs on the street, and more). In case you are new to BNI, saying anything against Islam or Mohammed can and does often result in the death penalty in several Muslim countries.

It is important to note that in the years 1998-2011, the OIC sought to advance an agenda in the UN, banning «the defamation of religions», but the OIC gave up on the ban after realizing that there was not sufficient support there for the proposal. «We could not convince them,» said Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu , the Turkish head of the IOC at the time.

The director of the information department of the OIC, Maha Mustafa Aqeel, explained that the forum is part of the OIC’s media strategy to counter «Islamophobia»:

«Our strategy focuses on interacting with the media, academics, and experts on various relevant topics, in addition to engaging with Western governments to raise awareness, support the efforts of Muslim civil society bodies in the West, and engage the latter in developing plans and programs to counter Islamophobia.»

Unlike almost all other intergovernmental organizations, the OIC wields both religious and political power. It describes itself as:

«…the second largest inter-governmental organization after the United Nations with a membership of 57 states spread over four continents. The Organization is the collective voice of the Muslim world… espousing all causes close to the hearts of over 1.5 billion Muslims of the world.»

According to the OIC’s Charter , one of the objectives of the organization is «To disseminate, promote and preserve the Islamic teachings and values based on moderation and tolerance, promote Islamic culture and safeguard Islamic heritage,» as well as «To protect and defend the true image of Islam, to combat defamation of Islam and encourage dialogue among civilisations and religions.»

The OIC was concrete in its demands to the West. In a statement delivered at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the OIC Secretary General called for Europe to «Prosecute and punish for racial discrimination… through the framework of appropriate legislation» and also to «Strengthen existing legislation on discrimination and discriminatory and ‘unequal treatment’ adopted by EU council directives».

Today, many Western European governments are prosecuting their own citizens for criticizing Islam or Muslims in, for example, Sweden Germany and the UK

Finally, the OIC media strategy calls for fostering a «network of high profile western public figures supporting efforts to combat Islamophobia in politics, journalism and civil society» as well as teams of scholars academics, and celebrities, who will be the faces of the campaign.

Instead of pursuing the ban on defamation of religions, in 2011, the OIC shifted its focus to UN Resolution 16/18 which calls upon states to take concrete steps to prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion

Andrew C. McCarthy, a critic of Resolution 16/18, maintains that: