Lecture by Dr. El Bernoussi: "China as a Leader of the Halal Business: An Opportunity to Strengthen MENA Ties"

20.05.2019 17:00

GADS Lecture by Dr. Zaynab El Bernoussi from Al Akhwayn University, Ifrane, Morocco

China has in the last decade actively shifted from the role of a quiet economic power to the role of an assertive political hegemon. The region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) has been a political challenge since the institution of Israel. For China, it makes sense to build political credentials by becoming an active player in the MENA. One of the features of the MENA is the predominance of Islam. One of the features of China is its ability to supply large and different market needs. These respective marking features of both regions constitute the opportunity of the Halal business: China can supply the needs of MENA’s Halal market, mostly the Gulf, and play a bigger role in the region. This lecture assesses how China has been treating its local Muslim communities, the Hui and the Uyghur, since the Reformers, examines systematically the Chinese state relation with local Muslims in political terms, and evaluates the signal such relation gives to Muslims in the world using relevant secondary data.

Dr. Zaynab El Bernoussi is an assistant professor of International Relations at the Al Akhawayn University in Morocco. She obtained her postgraduate degrees in Political and Social Science, Public Administration and Finance in various universities around the world. Her research interests include international development, human rights, bioethics, international political economy, globalization and the Arab Spring. She has published in major international journals on these topics.

Organiser:
Global African Diaspora Studies (GADS) research platform
Location:
Seminar room 1