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

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.

Latest poll: Arabs support Al Megrahi's return to Libya

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 14:57:00 GMT

November 4, 2009

Most Arabs back decision to release the Lockerbie bomber

Six out of 10 Arabs support the Scottish government's decision to send the convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Al-Megrahi back to Libya on compassionate grounds - but a similar number didn't believe Libya would have done the same.

The findings, contained in a YouGov poll, contradict the results of last month's Doha Debate, where a mainly Arab audience narrowly passed a motion deploring the release.

The poll was completed during the third week of October by more than 1,000 respondents from 18 Arab countries.

Over half - 55 percent - of those interviewed cast doubt on Al Megrahi's conviction for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am flight 103 which exploded over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 people. A similar number said they had no idea who else might have carried out the attack.

Roughly half the respondents believe that Libya accepted responsibility for the bombing only to rejoin the international community and attract investment to its oil industry.

Arabs divided over Lockerbie bomber release

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:43:00 GMT

Monday October 12, 2009

Motion: This House deplores the release of the Lockerbie bomber to Libya

Result: Motion carried 53% - 47%

Deep international divisions over the premature release of the only man convicted of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing were reflected starkly at the start of the sixth series of Doha Debates.

In one of the closest results recorded at the debates, the audience of 350 was split 53 per cent for to 47 per cent against a motion deploring the release of the Lockerbie bomber, Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, last August.

Jim Swire, whose daughter Flora, 23, was one of 270 people killed on the Pan Am Flight over Scotland, argued passionately against the motion in a plea for forgiveness which drew loud applause.

Dr. Swire, who has led a campaign for justice on behalf of the victims' UK relatives, said he was "delighted by (al-Megrahi's) release" since he believed he was innocent.

Latest poll: Arabs disagree with vote result

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:26:00 GMT

June 17, 2009

Arabs reject Doha Debate vote on Muslim marriage

Arabs across the Middle East have voiced serious opposition to a recent vote at the Doha Debates that Muslim women should be free to marry the man of their choice.

An opinion poll, commissioned by the Doha Debates, revealed more than 85 percent of Arabs against the proposition, with the strongest objections coming from women.

The finding stands in stark contrast to the result of the last debate, held on May 25th in Doha, when 62 percent of the mainly-Arab audience voted to remove all restrictions on a Muslim woman's choice of husband.

In the poll carried out by YouGov, 89 percent of women said it was prohibited for Muslim women to marry outside their religion, with the majority citing the Koran as the reason for their conviction.