Date: 08/11/2012
The Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu sent a letter to US President Barrack H. Obama congratulating him on winning a second term and calling on him to continue his engagement with the Muslim world, which he began at the beginning of his first term. Ihsanoglu expressed his sincere congratulations and felicitations on Obama’s resounding re-election to a second term as President of the United States of America. He took the opportunity to remind Obama of the bold initiative he undertook in his first term of engaging with the outside world, in particular with the Muslim world in June 2009 at the Cairo University, which demonstrated vision and leadership. The Secretary General was among the guests invited to the event at the Cairo University, which, according to him, aroused great hopes and expectations of an evenhanded policy of the US in addressing the outstanding issues in the Middle East region and in combating and countering the forces of intolerance and prejudice that seek to create divisions. Hence, Ihsanoglu hoped that the enthusiasm that was generated from the speech Obama delivered in Cairo will find greater resonance in his second term. The Secretary General expressed his joy that the OIC was able to build up a relationship with the US of trust, confidence and cooperation and that the OIC looks forward to strengthening this relationship in substance in the coming years. Ihsanoglu assured Obama of OIC’s commitment to work with him and his government in close cooperation to bring peace, progress and harmony to people.