ALAM RIND The Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) is an international organisation with permanent delegation to the United Nations. It is a representative body of Muslims that seeks to combine the voice of its 57 member states to safeguard their interests and to ensure progress. Muslims account for about 25 percent of the world population and are endowed with great economic wealth. It is also important to mention that the Philippines and India aspire to join OIC, as its membership will open the gateway for cooperation with the Muslim World - a lucrative and rich consumer market. In this context, countries desirous of seeking its membership must recognise that one of the primary responsibilities of OIC is to protect the interest of the Muslim world. Thus, in consonance with its mandate, the 35th Session of Council of Foreign Ministers of OIC held at Kampala, Uganda, in 2008 reaffirmed its support for the people of Jammu and Kashmir for their inalienable right to self-determination. They had also hoped that the next round of talks between Pakistan and India would result in substantial success on outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir. During the 36th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers held at Damascus in 2009, a serious note was taken of Indias apathy to redressing Muslim grievances caused by the destruction of the Babri Mosque in 1992 and also the Islamic Complex at Charar-e-Sharif. The council noted with regret that the 16th Anniversary of Babri Mosque has passed without concrete steps been taken by for its reconstruction and the punishment of those who were responsible for the act and for killing of thousand of Muslims afterwards. The council urged the international community, especially Muslim States, to exert utmost effort to protect the basic rights of the Kashmiri people, including their right to self-determination according to UN Resolutions. However, these stances were strongly refuted by the Indian government. Indias obstinate attitude is definitely not going to get it closer to the Muslim world. The Kashmir issue and Indian atrocities against Muslims is once again being raised at the 37th Session of the Council of OIC Foreign Ministers being held at Dushanbe, Tajikistan, from May 18 to 20 May, 2010. Violence in India against the Muslims is being persistently carried out throughout the last 63 years. To add to their miseries, acts of blasphemy in India are also on the rise. Interestingly, India does not have blasphemy law. The courts prohibit blasphemy by treating it as an instance of hate speech; virtually encouraging blasphemy as it carries no or very mild punishment. Under the circumstances, those who wish to perpetrate hate would resort to the acts of blasphemy. A recent example is the posting of a cartoon depicting Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at the notice board of the district collectors office in Dhule. This infuriated the Muslims, which eventually led to social unrest injuring 22 people. Lately, a book captioned Crescent over the World, a compilation of the articles of Ibn Warraq, Rushdie and Nasreen, and also containing blasphemous cartoons published in the Danish press in 2005, was reprinted and distributed in India. Thus, Muslims around the globe will never forgive the Indian government for its apathy to punish the individuals involved in the acts of profanity. So if India wants to benefit from the huge economic potential of the Islamic world they ought to learn to respect Muslims and people of other religions. Non-resolution of the Kashmir issue and atrocities against Muslims are of grave concern to the Islamic world, but the acts of profanity are simply unpardonable. If India desires to benefit from the wealth of Muslims, it needs to resolve disputes with its neighbours, extend right of self-determination to the people of Kashmir, improve the condition of its Muslim minority, restore Muslims holy sites in original condition and come hard on those who initiate and support blasphemy in India. The writer is a freelance columnist.