Leila Ghannam is joining the ranks of the rising number of women entering governing positions throughout the world. The 35-year-old former intelligence officer is now the governor of Ramallah, the capital of the West Bank.

During the 2010 U.S.-Islamic World Forum, which took place in Doha, Qatar from February 13th to the 15th, President Obama announced the appointment of Rashad Hussain as special envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). And so at the end of the conference, all was well with the world. The Muslim community was happy, as the appointment reaffirmed the President’s commitment to continuing dialogue and reaching out to the Muslim world. Everyone else was put at ease since Hussain’s record of speaking out against violent extremism demonstrated that moderate Muslims do exist. And the fact that he’s a hafiz sent a message of “Look at that, religion doesn’t make people crazy after all!”

I have been cautioned by people - mainly my father (an old school journalist) - that I am often not entirely objective in these posts. I recall a particular instance when I maligned an anti-Muslim Minnesota politician by juxtaposing her image with that of a Troll Doll. But it’s not my fault. It just so happens that racists often bear striking resemblances to various cartoon characters. I can’t be blamed if their politics match their physical appearances, can I? 

Washington has long been a boy’s club. It used to be that the only women present at state dinners were spouses of ambassadors and politicians. But things are slowly changing. More women are finding their way into power in a phenomenon the Washington Post dubs “The Hillary Effect.”

Things are heating up between Iraq and Iran as both nations publicly declared their infatuation for one another in a press conference to announce plans to redefine their borders. Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki stated that redefining the border was Iran’s way of declaring its, “friendship and love and peace” for Iraq. 

Last week, elan reported on the world’s recent discovery of the nation of Yemen (and as a major threat to national security no less). The reverberations of this huge discovery are still being felt this week. Did you know, for instance, that “Iraq is yesterday’s war” and that “Yemen will be tomorrow’s war”? I learned this from Joe Lieberman. He said it on Fox News, so it must be true. 

Is it just me, or did the world just discover Yemen...like yesterday? Yemen is like the middle child of the Middle East, totally ignored until it starts acting up. In the years since 9/11, Arab and Muslim nations have been all the rage (get it? rage...angry Muslims). We’ve heard scary rumors about Syria! Egypt! Saudi Arabia! and of course, Iraq!!! But who’s on the top of terror right now? Little old Yemen is sneaking into the spotlight.

Last week, Nadine Morano, a junior French Minister from Nicolas Sarkozy’s inner circle, told young Muslims living in France to dress properly, find a job, refrain from using slang and to stop wearing their hats backward (seriously). Oh, alright then. Should they also hop on one foot while rubbing their bellies with their right hands, patting their heads with their left and shouting “I am French” over and over?

It has been nearly one year since Israel’s 22-day attack on Gaza last December-January. More than 1,400 Palestinians died in the siege, including hundreds of children, and the neighborhoods of Gaza were left in ravages. It was an atrocity of epic proportions, but at least one good thing has come of it. For the first time since Israel’s founding, we are hearing mainstream criticism of its policies and increased action from Palestine solidarity activists. 

Well, at least there’s one Muslim that Washington insiders seem to like. Representative Keith Ellison, a Democratic Congressman from Minnesota and a Muslim, was voted the fourth most “admired” member of the House of Representatives by his fellow politicians. The survey, published by the National Journal, is an annual tradition on Capitol Hill, sort of like being voted prom king at the end of senior year. So what if Ellison actually tied for fourth (with fellow Democrats Barney Frank, John Lewis and Henry Waxman)? He’s still the Congressional prom king in my eyes.