The first-ever Abu Dhabi Media Summit is currently underway, and Rupert Murdoch, head honcho of News Corp., has set his lucrative little heart on the Middle East as the creative future of the media industry. News Corp. owns a slew of media properties, including MySpace - which hasn’t given us much lately, “Jihad Jane” aside - and, ironically, the region’s biggest media fan, Fox News.

The Inner City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) hosted a jam(literally)-packed event this past Saturday night at the historic Apollo theater in Harlem, New York City. This year’s show, a follow-up to last year’s sold-out Community Cafe at the Shabazz Center, featured a slew of talented cultural performances all aimed at celebrating the arts and entertainment that the Muslim community has to offer. 

Now that we know that it’s okay to laugh in the Middle East, let’s turn to some of the comedy available here in the good ol’ United States. Comedy Central is gearing up for a number of upcoming specials, including elan favorite Aziz Ansari’s first stand-up special alluringly entitled “Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening.” The show, recorded at Los Angeles’ Brentwood Theater, will feature Aziz seducing the audience with pillow talk on everything from Craigslist to thread counts to the provider of endless comedic fodder, R. Kelly. 

Need yet another reason why America is better than France? Well here’s one. The New York chapter of CAIR, an American civil liberties and advocacy organization for Muslims, is currently running an ad in the Mecca of advertising real estate (yes, pun shameless intended) otherwise known as Times Square. The ad, entitled “I am Muslim, I am American,” began airing yesterday morning on the CBS Super Screen. The point of the PSA, according to CAIR-NY Community Affairs Director Faiza Ali, is to highlight “ordinary American Muslims whose everyday lives are dedicated to building community and serving country.”

If you’re from anywhere in the South Asian region, chances are that at some point in your life, you’ve tapped your feet (or bopped your shoulders) to some form of Punjabi- bhangra-hip-hop-pop fusion music, widely known as “urban-desi.” And if you’re not from South Asia and have no idea what I’m talking about, maybe you’ve heard of a little chart-topper known as Jay Sean. Before Jay was dropping beats with Lil’Wayne and Sean Paul, he was collaborating with Punjabi artists like Rishi Rish, Juggy D and the like. Although Jay Sean’s recent success makes us really want to assume that Urban Desi is the new gateway to global pop superstardom, we’ll hold out for a few more breakouts before proclaiming Billboard domination with a signature bhangra flourish (we’re waiting for it though). 

The nominations for this year’s 25th Film Independent Spirit Awards were announced last week, and we’re proud that “Amreeka,” a film about a Palestinian single mother who immigrates to a small town in Illinois, was included as a Best Picture nominee for the prestigious award. Not only did the film get a best picture nod, but female lead Nisreen Faour scored a Best Actress nomination, and writer Cherien Dabis was also recognized for Best First Screenplay. 

Cairo. Doha. Dubai. Jakarta. These are just a few of the Muslim-majority cities that have held major, prominent film festivals in the last year, celebrations which too-often get sidelined by mainstream media in favor of, well, minarets and the like. Still, the popularity of these festivals is ever-increasing, and the trend continues this weekend with the annual Jakarta International Film Festival Jakarta International Film Festival (JiFFest) in Indonesia, impressively now in its 11th year. 

Reports are surfacing that none other than Angelina Jolie will be adopting her seventh child, a baby girl from Syria. Yay! More outreach to the Muslim World! Obama, is this all part of your master plan? Okay, maybe not. 

Before we begin, some seriously mad props to anybody that recognized the ‘80s reference in this post’s title. Anyway, last week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced in Morocco last week the appointment of the US’s first ever “Science Envoys” to the Muslim world. The news is aimed to help ramp up science and technology education in Muslim countries. You know, I don’t think, Lou Dobbs is going to be happy about this one, but we sure are. 

Each year on the last Wednesday in October, Muslims (and non-Muslims) around the world are wearing pink hijabs, ribbons and more to raise awareness for breast cancer research and funds. Hailed as “Global Pink Hijab Day,” the event is not only commemorating October as Breast Cancer Awareness month, but also encouraging questions about the hijab and Islam.