Crescent Magazine

By M. Shaikh Ahmed

International organisations, economic experts and media commentators and analysts all agree that Africa’s economy is growing and will continue to do so, and that this growth explains why developed countries, as well as China and India, are rushing to take advantage of this rare opportunity.  According to the current World Bank Global Economic Prospect Report, the economy of sub-Saharan Africa will probably expand by about 4.5% this year, faster than previously forecast, as it benefits from a revival in export demand and higher commodity prices; this rate will probably reach 5.1% next year.

By Zainab Cheema

CRUSADE — a word caught between the lexicon of pedestrian, every day use and the charged memories of civilizational struggle. The mixed history of the Crusades is itself caught within these contradictions. A colorful chapter in a history book that speaks to the fact that it is in the past tense? Or an all-significant event that pulses in our cultural life today? An intriguing question, a seductive dilemma. What is the relationship of the Crusades to the dreams and fantasies of US culture?