Posted on 06/15/2004 2:36:32 PM PDT by a_Turk
ISTANBUL (AFP) - Senior representatives of 57 Muslim countries elected Turkey's Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu as the next secretary general of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, a minister participating in the meeting said.
Ihsanoglu, a 61-year-old historian, will succeed Morocco's Abdelwahed Belkeziz, whose four-year mandate expires at the end of this year, said the minister, who asked to remain anonymous.
Under a rotation system, candidates for the post were required to come from Asian countries. Ihsanoglu had been competing with nominees from Malaysia and Bangladesh.
For the first time the position was filled through an election rather than by general consensus around a particular candidate.
Ihsanoglu, who speaks fluent English and Arabic, has served as director general of the Istanbul-based Organisation of the Islamic Conference Research Center for Islamic History, Art and Culture.
His election came as OIC foreign ministers met in Istanbul to decide whether to support the new interim government in Iraq (news - web sites) and how security in the country can be boosted.
ping..
Yes, yes... we can all see that turkey is going down the islamic tube. Ping me when/if the military has flung these miscreants in a dungeon and thrown away the key.
I am a realist and have a positive feeling about this. You may also be a realist, but your judgement may be clouded by other issues and perhaps even informational deficiencies.
ping.
I trust your feelings, sounds like good news.
What is the significance of choosing Ihsanoglu as head of the OIC?
Prof. Dr. EKMELEDDIN IHSANOGLU
Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu is a professor of the history of science, member of numerous international academic institutions, experienced in organizing international symposia on history, art and culture. He is a patron of the art of calligraphy.
Experience
- Director General of Islamic Conference Organization Research Centre for Islamic History, Art, and Culture (IRCICA) Istanbul,
- President of International Union of History and Philosophy of Science, (IUHPS/DHS),
- Secretary of the Islamic Conference Organization International Commission for the Preservation of Islamic Cultural Heritage (ICPICH), Istanbul,
-Vice Chairman of Al Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation, London, UK,
- Founder and Chairman of Turkish Society for History of Science (TBTK), Istanbul, 1989,
Awards and Honors
-"l`Ordre National du Mérite" conferred by the President of the Republic of Senegal, 2002,
- Medal of Distinguished State Service conferred on by the President of the Republic of Turkey, March 2000.
- Appointed "Ambassador at Large" by the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1997.
- "Independence Medal of the First Order" conferred by Jordanian King Husein Bin Tallal, 1996,
- Awarded the "Certificate of Honor and Distinction" by the Organization of the Islamic Conference, 1995,
- Received the medal of "Distinction of the First Order" from the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt in 1990.
I'm sorry but I was unable to find any reference to any speech that Prof Dr Ihsanoglu gave at the meeting. I know, however that the Turkish president and Foreign Minister spoke their s$$es off about the need for democratization and reform, without sounding toooo insulting.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2941326a12,00.html
http://www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2004-06-15&hidType=NAT&hidRecord=0000000000000000011446
http://www.paknews.com/flash.php?id=14&date1=2004-06-15
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20040615/1056388.asp
>>What is the general opinion in Turkey of the war in Iraq?
When Turkish folks heard about the possibility of war in Iraq, they immediately responded "Oh no! Not again!"
>>Of America?
They like you but they think you're a klutz.
>> There was a time last year when it seemed the Islamists were going to take control there.
If going to church makes one an extremist, then I guess the USA is loaded with fanatics.
>> I know about Attaturk and the role of the military in Turkey, but the media last year had me worried that even the military was going to be over thrown.
Can't happen. The Turkish culture is such that *we are the military*. The western media is anti-Turk. No question about it. F'em.
Too bad they don't have a pill for informational deficiency yet, eh A_turk?
We could be billionnaires!!!
>> My klutzy American misunderstanding and inability to deal w/names in other languages
You got me wrong.
I meant that the US is clumsy in dealing with the middle east. This has to do with the unfamiliarity of Americans with the mindset of the average middle easterner.
We Turks would be just as clumsy given the chance to meddle in your internal affairs..
>> What is the significance of choosing Ihsanoglu as head of the OIC?
What's really important here is that Ihsanoglu is the Turkish representative, and his election really only means that Turkey was elected to lead the bloc. The vote was 32 for Turkey, 12 for Malay, and 12 for Bangladesh.
This is a first time that a vote was held in this body.
This vote means that Turkey is accepted by ca. 60% of the countries in the bloc, for all the right reasons: democracy, strength, dialogue w the east and west, plus the virtues in my tag line, plus others. This vote seems to indicate that 60% of the bloc are desirous of reform.
For the Turks this vote brings international support for Turkish causes under the umbrella of reform, progress, and for what it's worth: solidarity. For the US and Israel it provides an opportunity for new partnership.
I have a feeling the pendulum is going to change direction again soon.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.