This weekend saw the premiere of a compelling original production by Link TV, Who Speaks for Islam? Hosted by Ray Suarez, the series explores the diversity of Islam in an age when Muslim extremists are laying claim to the religion. The first installment is available online.

Suarez interviews a panel of researchers, scholars, Hollywood producers and actors, that includes Dalia Mogahed, Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies and co-author of the groundbreaking book Who Speaks for Islam?: What a Billion Muslims Really Think, and author Reza Aslan (No god But God; How to Win a Cosmic War).

Support for such illuminating content is percolating among a variety of media outlets: The New York Times applauds the "density of information" in the program. On the Huffington Post, Dalia Mogahed emphasizes the importance of open dialogue and understanding different views by examining the warm reception of President Obama in Cairo earlier this year: "Obama's success in Cairo provides a valuable lesson in diplomacy: understanding perspectives we may not agree with makes us stronger, not weaker."

San Francisco Chronicle blogger Tim Goodman is enthusiastic towards the second installment of the program, Muslims on Screen, which examines the role of Muslims in American film and television. Goodman writes, "...the discussion on media portrayals and influence is so relevant and timely. Hell, even Jack Bauer seems to be a changed man on the issues." The program features interviews with actors, writers and producers, including Howard Gordon, Executive Producer of 24 and Kamran Pasha, former writer of Showtime's series, Sleeper Cell, about Hollywood's evolving portrayal of Muslims.

Muslims on Screen premieres Sunday, November 1, on Link TV, and also will air in New York City on CUNY TV on Monday, November 2 at 9:00 am, 3:00 pm and 9:00 pm ET, and in Los Angeles on LA36 on Monday, November 2 at 7:00 pm PT.

Watch What a Billion Muslims Really Think online:

Link's Mosaic and the Mosaic Intelligence Report are on vacation this week, but intrepid Mosaic Producer Jamal Dajani has not been slacking. Dajani has been reporting from Paris on the burqa controversy, where French president Nicolas Sarkozy inflamed his country's Muslim population with recent comments stating that the burqa would "not be welcome" in France.

It wasn't easy, but Dajani was able to interview a French woman dressed in burqa for his latest article in the Huffington Post, and it sounds like Sarkozy isn't winning any friends in France's Muslim communities. You can follow Dajani's interesting updates on this story on Twitter.

For more background, this Al Jazeera English piece gives the "inside story" on the call for a burqa ban in France:

Is this anti-burqa campaign really a question of women's rights? (This, of course, coming from the same man caught opening oogling the female form in these photos. Don't you worry -- Obama's wandering eye has apparently been exonerated, according to this ABC News video analysis.) Can France reconcile its values as a secular nation with its growing Muslim immigrant population? We know what Dajani and Sarkozy think -- what about you?

Well, it has been a week since Obama gave his historical speech to the Muslim world in the Mother of the World (Um Al Dunya) in Egypt. Now that the sand has settled and reactions have tempered, it is fair to say that although there was alot of optimism and hype surrounding his landmark speech, not much is going to change. While Muslims can appreciate President Obama for recognizing Islamic achievement throughout history and the need to re-engage based on mutual respect, it will be his actions that will ultimately be judged--particularly concerning the Arab-Israeli/Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

Israel is continuing its settlements and its policy of displacement. On today's Mosaic, Syria TV reports that a Palestinian man was forced to demolish his home with his own hands so that he would be spared the cost of having to pay for an Israeli bulldozer to do it. Israeli settlers are erecting Obama huts to protest President Obama's calling for a two-state solution and a halt to settlement building. Meanwhile, the Palestinians continue to bicker among themselves over who has the right to represent a people who are becoming more impoverished and more hopeless with every passing day. Arab leaders continue to prove their ineffectiveness as they watch from the sidelines waiting for their cue from Washington, or better yet, Tel Aviv.

Well so much for big talk and small action!

Read the www.forward.com article about the visit by Keith Allison, the only member of congress from the Muslim community. He made a video which shows the horror of Gaza daily life. But he does not use it as a weapon of propaganda. He is trying to make a point about the US Congress needing to be more open to other sources of information.

He is an example of a difficult balancing act, any Muslim American working inside the beltway-DC- of American power has to make do with. Maybe he is a bridge to other members of Congress who are not afraid of AIPAC. It could also be that GAZA has been a turning point, as it raised a lot of eyebrows even among American Jews. Obama in

Turkey repeated his 2 state solution emphasis, which contrasts with BIBI silence on the issue.

There is a shift in policy in different Obama initiatives that might make the BUSH era finally look like bygone. 5 main changes already happened. Envoys were sent to Syria, Iran invited to an Afghanistan conference, strengthening Turkey role as Mediator, support UK initiative to talk to Hezbollah, trying to talk to moderate Taliban. All these are connected to an Engagement trend,that will bear fruits sometime.

For Israel the challenge is how to answer these developments, as the new government is really a pro Bush in its mentality. Obama has a very hard partner in Israel and its AIPAC friends in DC. But by doing all this outreach to the Arab world, Obama is first trying to change the non Palestinian -Israeli world. Then he will deal with the hardcore issues that so many presidents before him failed at

Yes, I think there are many ways. But I think that trust and confidence is low. People are not willing to move forward. Nonetheless, it should be noted that mosques, churches and synagogues have been dialoguing in various parts of the country. There is an exchange happening, but it is not at a point of critical mass. It is low-level and while such exchanges are opening hearts and minds, there is always more to be done. The need is always there.

Perhaps writing a poem, painting a portrait, composing music, planting olive trees in the promised land.  Maybe we start a SIRIUS radio station that can be heard every where and where we just talk and get others to call, email and chat with us!

Ok- I believe you. Singing is not the way to go. But maybe creating together a new yet to be defined collaboration, aside from the blog could be an option. With Jamal, my Palestinian Mosaic partner, I created a film that expressed new ways of looking at the conflict. The Israeli-Palestinian one.

Is there a joint media effort that could make us a bridge, so other people will be less suspicious of each other? Especially across our kind of “divide.”

I read today at www.forward.com that Jewish communities finally decided that they can talk to other Muslim groups in the USA. 7 yearsafter 9/11... the truth is that both sides were not open to each other. Is there a way that we can bring Mosques and Synagogues closer?

Well, such cooperation in the arts does have an affect, albeit minimal. Will it change foreign policy? Will it spark peace in the Middle East? No. But it does help to humanize the ways that political and military avenues do not.

Besides, my voice is really bad and my tone is even worse. If I want to really annoy my husband, I sing to him!!! So I think we would fail miserably in the singing department, actually we would probably cause more conflict than peace–at least between the two of us!

Israeli media has had for the last 3 weeks a real debate. The Left among the Jews think that the Arab participation misleads and spins Israel's real intentions. But many disagree and say that music is an artistic venture. Can you separate art from daily harsh reality? I come from documentary and news and have never been able to separate them from the issues at hand.

So even if we agree to appear with a guitar together, does this make a difference? Maybe for some audiences it would mean that if David and Souheila can work it out, so can we?

We need to do a Hebrew and Arabic version together...

There is a huge gap between the West whose view of Islamist as anti democratic and the East who think they should participate in Democratic election. However if you to www.worldopinion.org you will see that inside the Muslim world there is also a split. Pakistanis believe-83% that they should participate but Turkey and Jordan the figure is around 50%. So there is alot of ambivalence about Islamist wining and than canceling the democratic system they used to get into power. The Hamas is a good example of this.

The USA encouraged the election in Palestine but when Hamas won they immediately distances themselves. I think this is a challenging issue, as you can not eat the cake- democracy- and keep it- abolish Islamist parties.

What is your stand on this?