The Doha Debates - Qatar's forum for free speech in the Arab world

Comedy debate special

Tue, 25 May 2010 07:53:00 GMT

Monday May 24, 2010
Motion: This House believes women are superior to men
Result: Motion carried 67% - 33%

A raucous, often hilarious argument over the relative merits of men and women, ranging from beards to shopping to mothers-in-law, brought the sixth series of Doha Debates to a unique crescendo and left many in the audience weak from laughter.

The season finale, debating the motion that "women are superior to men" marked a sharp departure from the forum's normal political diet - with both teams competing to be more outrageous than the other.

The audience also rose to the occasion, asking why it was that behind every successful man was a surprised woman and why, when the doctors' waiting rooms were full of women, the mortuaries were full of men.

Whatever the reasons, the female sex won the night convincingly with the motion passing by a huge margin of 67 to 33 percent.

Speaking in favour was Maysoon Zayid, a Palestinian-American actress and stand-up comedian, whose skills were honed in the tough clubs of New York.

Arabs: Obama can't make peace

Tue, 27 Apr 2010 06:55:00 GMT

The Arab world remains deeply sceptical of US President Barack Obama's ability to achieve a Middle East peace settlement in an increasingly volatile region, according to a vote at the latest Doha Debates.

An audience of more than 300 voted by 58 to 42 percent for the motion: "This House believes Barack Obama is too weak to make peace in the Middle East".

Although the four speakers agreed that President Obama was well-intentioned towards the Middle East, they and the audience were sharply divided over his ability to secure a peace deal.

Philip Weiss, a prominent US journalist and founder of a website focusing on Israeli-Palestinian issues, argued that President Obama was seeking "to show even-handedness after decades of being Israel's lawyer," but said he feared America was not ready for such a change in emphasis.

He believed "a lack of political space" hampered proper discussion of the issue in the US , adding that "Obama's a strong man, but he's not strong enough to overcome these forces or to pull off a Middle East peace."

Arabs have no confidence in Palestinian leadership

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:00:00 GMT

The leaderships of the warring Fatah and Hamas Palestinian factions were dealt a resounding vote of no-confidence by fellow Arabs in a surprise ballot at The Doha Debates.

Out of an audience of more than 350 people, 89 per cent voted "No" to the question: "Do you have confidence in the current Palestinian leaders?" with just 11 per cent voting "yes".

Representatives of
Fatah and Hamas, in growing conflict since the death of Fatah founder Yasser
Arafat in 2004, were brought together in a unique public encounter at this
month's Doha Debates.

In a lively and
sometimes acrimonious series of exchanges between the two sides, it soon
became
clear that while representatives of the two factions argued and
bickered, the
Debates' audience grew increasingly united in its scepticism of their
sincerity
and leadership capabilities.

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

"In a fairly argumentative country like ours, where quibbles can snowball into rivalries and then riots, India has yet to master the art of peaceful disagreement. The Doha Debates can help us achieve it." The Hindustan Times

The Doha Debates staged an audacious discussion on discrimination against Muslims in India on Monday just three days after suspected Islamist terrorists killed nine people in a bomb blast in the west of the country.

More than 300 people in the audience at St Stephen's College, part of Delhi University, voted overwhelmingly by 62.1 per cent to 37.9 per cent against a motion that "Muslims are not getting a fair deal in India".

Security for the debate at St Stephen's College, one of India's most prestigious university campuses, was particularly tight with the theme of the debate only publicised two days before the event took place. "There have been minor incidents during debates in the past with demonstrators shouting obscenities and even spitting at the debaters on stage so we were particularly sensitive to any possible trouble," said a member of the student organising committee.

Doha Debates accepts invitation to travel to India

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 11:39:00 GMT

The Doha Debates are to travel for the first time to India this month, after accepting an invitation to stage a special session at St. Stephen's College, Delhi University.

The debate - expected to deal with controversial minority issues - will be televised from St Stephen's College, renowned internationally for educating some of India's most influential figures.

Debates' Chairman Tim Sebastian said he was excited at the chance to debate in such an important capital. "India's reach and influence seem set to increase dramatically this century. We hope to raise issues that will be crucial to its development and its place in the world."

Reverend Valson Thampu, Principal of St. Stephen's College, welcomed the Debates to India and the opportunity for his students to be ambassadors for their country.

"The Doha Debates have established a fine reputation as a forum that gives a fair hearing to both sides, applying equal pressure and giving equal time. We are looking forward to hosting them and are delighted that they have accepted our invitation," he said.

Divisions over Afghanistan

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:45:00 GMT

Monday January 12, 2010

Motion: This house believes this Afghan Government is not worth fighting for.

Result: Motion carried 51% - 49%

The Arab world showed itself sharply divided over foreign military intervention in Afghanistan with a narrow majority believing its corrupt government is not worth fighting for.

In one of the closest Doha Debates, now in their sixth series, the audience voted 51% to 49% in favour of the motion: "This House believes this Afghan Government is not worth fighting for."

Backers of the motion suggested last August's fraudulent Presidential election results combined with what is perceived to be a deeply corrupt government rendered Kabul unworthy of international military support.

Speaking for the motion Peter Galbraith, former Deputy UN Envoy to Afghanistan, said that a government as corrupt as that of Hamid Karzai "does not merit support."

Fired from his post after accusing the head of the UN mission of concealing election fraud last summer, Mr Galbraith said that for the US-led counter-insurgency campaign to work "they need a credible partner".

Doha Debates Dubai advert banned

Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:11:00 GMT

Abu Dhabi's National newspaper has refused to run an advertisement by The Doha Debates, promoting a controversial session about Dubai, broadcast by BBC World News last Saturday and Sunday.

The advertisement showed a picture of two panellists against a Dubai skyline with the question: "is Dubai a bad idea?"

Sources close to the newspaper said its staff had been afraid of upsetting Dubai's rulers, already sensitive over international coverage of their financial crisis.

The National's Advertising manager Andy Tideswell told agents in Doha that.."due to the content of the ‘Doha Debates' ad a late decision was taken to pull the ad from the 8th January issue."

Sales Director Stephen Dennis Lee added: "I am sure the Qatar Tribune would not wish to publish an ad claiming that Doha is a bad idea no more (sic) than we would carry such an ad about our own country."

Doha Debates' chairman Tim Sebastian said the National's decision represented a serious blow to free speech in the region. "This was an important debate about Dubai, in the wake of widespread international concern over the Emirate's finances. Our mainly Arab audience voted 62% against the motion that Dubai was a bad idea. I'm amazed and disappointed that such a prominent regional newspaper would reject our advertisement on such openly political grounds."

Dubai wins support from Doha Debates

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:18:00 GMT

Monday December 14, 2009

Motion: This House believes Dubai is a bad idea.

Result: Motion defeated 62% - 38%

An Arab discussion forum has closed ranks in support of embattled Dubai in a heated and controversial debate boycotted by a number of Gulf media outlets.

It was the first time the city-state's financial misfortunes had been publicly discussed in the region.

On the day Abu Dhabi bailed out the neighbouring emirate with a $10 billion loan, the Doha Debates audience delivered a clear message of support for Dubai's "experiment" with unfettered capitalism by voting 62% against the motion: "This House believes Dubai is a bad idea."

Three successive panel members who agreed to speak against the motion, including Mark Beer, chairman and CEO of Dubai's British Businessmen's Group, had to be replaced after they pulled out at short notice, while five journalists representing Dubai newspapers and business publications also withdrew their accreditation and failed to appear. Although most of the absentees cited "operational or health reasons" for their last-minute change of mind, those familiar with the debates said they appeared to have decided the event was too contentious.

Latest poll: Iran bigger threat than Israel

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

December 9, 2009

Iran can't be trusted over nuclear intentions

Eighty percent of Arabs disbelieve Iran's assurances that it will not build nuclear weapons, according to a new region-wide poll, commissioned by The Doha Debates.

Moreover, most Arabs in the Gulf see Iran as a bigger threat than Israel; nearly a third say Tehran is just as likely to target them as Israel.

The survey, conducted by YouGov, questioned more than 1000 people in 18 Arab countries between November 19 and 23.

The result significantly reinforces the vote at last month's Doha Debate where 52 percent of a mostly-Arab audience rejected the motion that Iran can be trusted not to build an atomic bomb.  

Arabs believe Tehran planning nuclear bomb

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:42:00 GMT

Monday November 9, 2009

Motion: This House trusts Iran NOT to build a nuclear bomb

Result: Motion defeated 52% - 48%

A narrow majority of Arabs reject Iran’s assurances that its nuclear programme is peaceful and believe the country is planning to build an atomic bomb, according to the region’s only politically independent debating forum.

A motion that “This House trusts Iran not to build a nuclear bomb” was defeated by 52% to 48% during an animated discussion in the latest of Qatar’s monthly Doha Debates.

Two of the four-member panel and some of the 350 people in the audience expressed fundamental misgivings over Tehran’s nuclear plans, but there was near unanimous resentment over Israel’s nuclear arsenal.