The article titled “Epistemological Contestations in Global Governance: The OIC and the Conceptualization of Minorities” by our Sociology MA graduate Hibatuallah Bensaid, developed from her master’s thesis, has been published in June 25, 2025 in the Politics and Religion (Q3) journal volume XIX, no: 1, published by the Center for Study of Religion and Religious Tolerance.
The article examines the role of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in framing Muslim minorities as a distinct sociopolitical category and its efforts to advocate for these communities at the global level. The study highlights that more than one-third of the global Muslim population lives outside OIC member states and often faces systemic challenges such as structural discrimination, cultural erasure, and political marginalization.
By analysing official OIC documents and public communications, the research explores the ideological and epistemological foundations of the organization’s advocacy. The study also contrasts the OIC’s communitarian approach to minority rights with the universalist framework of the United Nations, highlighting important philosophical and normative differences.
Overall, the research contributes to the fields of global governance, religion and politics, and minority studies, while presenting the OIC as an actor with both significant influence and structural limitations in advocating for marginalized Muslim communities.
We congratulate our graduate and wish her continued success in her academic endeavours.
To read the article: https://www.politicsandreligionjournal.com/index.php/prj/article/view/669/522
