Mehrubon Ravshan is the Cat Stevens of Tajikistan. Ravshan is best-known for hit songs like "Az Mani" ("You Are Mine"), but now that the 30-year-old pop singer has become a more devout Muslim, he's changed his tune.

Hadag Nahash, came to Manhattan bringing with it music and light, power and politics. The Israeli hip hop/funk band had its audience dancing in the aisles from virtually minute one of its Sunday night performance at Baruch College.

If America wants to strengthen its relationship with the Arab world, connecting with the next generation of Arab leaders is key. As President Obama's special representative to Muslim communities, Farah Pandith, once explained, "These youth are keen to be connected to others, to share ideas and to take part in building stronger communities."

Half of Australians harbour anti-Muslim sentiments and a quarter are anti-Semitic, according to the biggest survey ever done on racism in this country. One in three also admit some level of racist feelings against indigenous people, reported the Herald Sun.

The end of the Mubarak regime demonstrates the falsity of commonly held stereotypes: Arabs reject democracy, Islam is incompatible with popular sovereignty, the grip of rulers of security states is unshakable.

Following attacks on Coptic Christians in Egypt and Christians in Iraq, a diplomat tells swissinfo.ch how Switzerland is trying to combat religiously motivated violence.

Call it sitcom diplomacy. Last month, Katie Couric suggested it was past time to apply that magic to Muslims in America. Her example was "The Cosby Show."