The signatories below and I welcome the many initiatives that are underway among governments, in civil society, and within the religious community to expand areas of cooperation between the Muslim community and other actors. President Obama's trip to Indonesia this week is an important example of the high-level attention that must be given to these relationships.

Now that President Barack Obama has concluded his $200 million per day trip to India (just kidding—that risible far right-wing canard has been thoroughly debunked), it’s a good moment for some initial thoughts about the soft power dimensions of the episode.

Now that President Barack Obama has concluded his $200 million per day trip to India (just kidding—that risible far right-wing canard has been thoroughly debunked), it’s a good moment for some initial thoughts about the soft power dimensions of the episode.

But today it's worth stepping back and offering some praise. The administration has stuck with the president's clear commitment to restoring positive relations with the Muslims of the world despite all the setbacks, when it would have been really easy to give up or change course.

Judith McHale is currently the US Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. She spoke to Gulf News during a visit to Dubai, after giving an address at the two-day Celebration of Entrepreneurship event on Tuesday.

Last night on "The Daily Show," Jon Stewart focused his attention on President Obama's post-midterm election trip to India, where he secured 22,000 jobs for Americans and did some pretty laughable dancing with school children in Mumbai.

The two leaders said their countries would expand their relationship in trade and investment, education, energy, climate and the environment, security, and democratization. Obama praised Indonesia for having created a "genuine democracy" with a very diverse population, and said other Southeast Asian countries could learn from it.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat down with an Australian comedic duo for an interview that aired Tuesday, in which she appeared to to be concerned about the world's image of Americans and the nation's collective lifestyle.