With this issue Crescent International enters its 45th year of publication. It has not been an easy journey by any stretch. That we have survived so long is due to the mercy of Allah and the support of our readers for which we are extremely grateful.

Ignorance is deliberately bred by ruling elites in order to manipulate people’s emotions. This is especially true in countries that never tire of drum beating about free speech, democracy and the rule of law.

For decades, the Bani Saud claimed to be leaders of the Muslim world. Now they claim to be leading the ‘Sunni’ world against the ‘Shias’. They are nothing but agents of imperialism and Zionism and stand exposed because of their own policies and actions.

While associated with renewal and growth, the month of March brings grim reminder of how terribly movements for change in the Muslim world have been subverted. Leaders of Islamic movements need to pay close attention to their modus operandi.

Will the February 22 agreement between Russia and the US outlining terms for cessation of hostilities bring peace to Syria? It offers a glimmer of hope but many uncertainties remain.

The first requirement for getting out of a hole is to stop digging. The Bani Saud appear not to have heard this. They are digging themselves deeper into a hole. As the desert sand pours in, they will be buried under it.

The noble concept of the Khilafah (the Islamic State) has been besmirched at the hands of terrorists and head choppers. This is part of a plan to undermine the aspirations of Muslims for legitimacy, justice and peace.

Even while most of the world has realized that foreign mercenaries cannot overthrow the government of President Bashar al Asad, Erdogan and Bani Saud continue to harbor the illusion, with disastrous consequences for both.

By his ill-conceived policies, Turkish President Recep Tayip Erogan has brought the war on Syria into his own country. The Turks will pay a heavy price for such foolishness, not to mention illegality.

On December 12 and 13, 2015, the Nigerian army slaughtered more than 1,000 members of the Islamic movement allegedly for blocking the road on which the army chief was traveling. On February 14, 2016, a Church group blocked a road in Abuja but the army chief took a detour instead of attacking the Christians. Why the different treatment?

There has been an alarming rise in anti-Muslim sentiments and attacks throughout Europe and North America. While there are Muslim extremists as well, attacks against Muslims go largely unreported and unpunished.

No political system is entirely free. In the West, elections are bought as we witness in the US. Yet Islamic Iran’s electoral system is ridiculed because it wants to protect the achievements of the Islamic revolution.

Muslim scholars have written extensively on the political and social theories of Islam but there isn’t enough material on the principles of economics. The few attempts at Shariah-compliant activities are mere window dressing and do not meet the requirements of Islamic law.

One of the most remarkable transformations in the life of Malcolm X occurred during Hajj. Some of these experiences are narrated here that were published posthumously.

The takfiri groun Daesh that also goes by the name ISIS or ISIL is much in the news. This book by Andrew Hosken sheds some light on the group but skips crucial details. Dmitry Shlapentokh reviews Andrew Hosken’s Empire of Fear: Inside the Islamic State (Oneworld, London, UK, 2015; 304 pages).

Islamic resistance movements face many challenges, none more critical than the kind of friends they keep. Hamas faces this dilemma most acutely.

With so many wars raging in the Muslim world, it is easy to forget the long-suffering people of Afghanistan. They have not been well- served by successive rulers.

A reader ridicules the lifestyle of the hordes of Saudi princes whose extravagance has caused immense suffering to the people.

This long-time reader thanks us for not forgetting the life and struggle of Malcolm X (El Haj Malik el Shabazz), the most outstanding leader of the African-American community in the last century.

All parts of the Islamic movement should learn from the experiences and mistakes of the Ikhwan al-Muslimoon in Egypt.