Basic

China's military might | Women Qur'anic scholars

Posted by: The Conversation Global

Date: Monday, 27 April 2020

 

Editor's note

When military parades roll down the streets of Beijing, it's hard not to think China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) is a formidable force. And it's about to get more impressive, if the government has its way: it has launched an ambitious reform of the PLA with the aim of having a world-class army by 2050. Bates Gill and Adam Ni unpack why, despite its strong public profile, China's leaders still lack confidence in the army's ability to match up against a strong adversary – particularly the US. 

Men have historically occupied all the Islamic positions of authority in Kenya, with women generally limited to teaching at traditional Qur'anic schools, notwithstanding their scholarly credentials. But, following the issuing of a raft of new radio licences, there’s been a rise in the number of women broadcasting as religious authorities. This has happened in spite of limitations imposed by some conservative Islamic religious scholars. Hassan Juma Ndzovu explains why this represents a significant development.

Justin Bergman

Deputy Editor: Politics + Society

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