Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu (Photo: Al-Ahram)
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, a Turkish academic and secretary-general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), arrives in Cairo on Monday, and will start his visit with a book signing at Dar Al-Shorouk bookshop for his new book, ‘The Islamic World and Challenges of the New Century - Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.’
The signing will take place on Tuesday, 2 April, in the morning.
The book examines the work of the OIC, the second largest intergovernmental organisation after the United Nations.
The book includes an introduction by President Mohamed Morsi who states that "the value of this book is even bigger because its author is Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, who represents a powerful Islamist thinker. Over the past decades he has researched among labyrinths of manuscripts, heading the Center for Research in Islamic History, Art and Culture in Istanbul, in addition to gaining rich political and diplomatic experience."
According to Morsi, the OIC has played an important role in the new century, limiting the impacts of new phenomena such as Islamophobia and the linking of Islam to terrorism.
"The value of this book is even greater if we look at the danger of the historical phase of international relations today," because the Islamic world is being impacted by globalisation, global interdependence and the communication revolution.
Ihsanoglu, who will step down from his role as secretary-general this year, will give a lecture at the Egyptian Diplomatic Institute on Wednesday on Islamic cooperation, and his experience over the past eight years heading the OIC. At the end of the trip, Ain Shams University, Ihsanoglu’s alma mater, will grant him an honorary doctorate.
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