On Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, rejected President Obama’s demand to halt settlement activity in East Jerusalem, a predominately Arab neighborhood, in the hopes of renewing peace talks. Netanyahu defended his plans to continue the development of a new housing project saying, “We cannot accept the idea that Jews will not have the right to live and purchase in all parts of Jerusalem.”

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s recent trip to India played out on the world’s stage as a meeting among friends—friends who use each other that is—but behind the scenes, major business and political deals took place that will change the relationship between the U.S. and India.

Egypt in the twenty-first century is “Om ul-Dunya” as the Egyptians like to say- the Mother of the World. People have spent centuries excavating and digging into the past, but the present is just as rich. Picture this...you are traveling on horseback across the desert in about 112F weather, but you are parched. You are so close to the Pyramids now that there is simply no going back. You can feel the heat of the sun as you breathe in the thick, dusty desert air. But it’s ok...because your Egyptian tour guide brought along some nice, refreshing Coca-Cola cans! 

In a recent op-ed in The Observer, former President Jimmy Carter called upon the global community to challenge and change religious teachings that have long been used to subjugate women throughout the world. His plea is part of a new campaign by The Elders, a group of former world leaders brought together by Nelson Mandela to combat human suffering. 

“Law and Order” might be her go-to television show, but CAIR NY’s Civil Rights Director Aliya Latif asserts Jack and Abbie had nothing to do with her choice to lunge at a law degree. The tough time she endured wading through law school prepared her that much more to be dedicated and commited to organizing and mobilizing American Muslims. Plus, her work for CAIR (Council of American-Islamic Relations) has enhanced her exposure to the spectrum of discrimination cases facing the community. 

Everybody has heard the rumors of - let’s say, “questionable” - tactics used to interrogate terrorism suspects in Guantanamo Bay and the like. But did you know that one method used was coercion via pop songs? Yes indeed, and of course everyone’s favorite entertainment rag - the Wall Street Journal - has the scoop. 

Odds are you’ve already seen him on a CNN roundtable, heard him on NPR or read his stuff in the opinion section of your hometown newspaper. He was even featured as an extra in the 2008 film Body of Lies, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe. The question is: Where does Arsalan Iftikhar find the time to do it all? A Washington, D.C.-based international human rights lawyer by profession, Iftikhar is the self-described “snake-charming, belly-dancing Muslim Guy” for the U.S. media, spearheading his popular TheMuslimGuy.com website, all on top of his other responsibilities, including contributing posts at Islamica magazine and the Tell Me More show on NPR. Arsalan recently spoke with elan about his accomplishments, motivations and penchant for Diet Coke.

On Friday, a federal appeals court in Manhattan reversed a lower-court ruling that barred Tariq Ramadan, a prominent Muslim academic, from entering the United States to serve as the Henry R. Luce Professor of Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding at University of Notre Dame. Ramadan had been denied a visa in 2004 and again in 2006 by the Bush administration on the grounds that he contributed $1300 over a 3 and a half year period to a Swiss-based charity that was later found to have connections to Hamas.

Tackling yet another field in which Muslims have not - yet - dominated are Nyla Hashmi and Fatima Monkush, the creative forces behind the most buzzed-about fashion line for Muslims, Eva Khurshid. The two have combined their passion for business and design to create an innovative concept for the modern Muslim woman. The clothing style, and even the concept behind the name, mirrors the ideas of femininity and strength, originating from the pair’s American and South Asian ethnicities. Nyla and Fatima are keeping busy these days by prepping their company to break into mainstream fashion and by reiterating the importance of making a difference within the Muslim community. 

The long-time Muslim aide to Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin just did the unthinkable...she scored a Jewish guy.  Congressman of New York’s ninth district, Anthony Weiner, proposed to Huma this past May, according to sources.