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

Turks tell Arabs: don't follow our example

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 06:58:00 GMT

This House believes Turkey is a bad model for the new Arab states

Results: motion passed, 59% to 41%

Istanbul, Turkey: Ankara's human rights and media freedom record came under sustained attack at the latest Doha Debate, as a majority-Turkish audience told Arab states not to follow their country's example.

The debate, at Bosphorous (Bogazici) University, overlooking the historic waterway, provoked heated arguments between panelists and audience members before 59% voted for the motion: "This House believes Turkey is a bad model for the new Arab States".

Ece Temelkuran, an award-winning Turkish journalist and author, who was recently dismissed from her newspaper, drew applause whenever she cited examples of the government's crackdown on critics, including journalists, students and academics.

"Arabs should talk to Arabs about which model is best for them," she said. "They should hear their own voices...Turkey cannot be a model because Arabs already have enough problems."

Arabs want Syria's President Assad to go - opinion poll

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 05:05:00 GMT

Although the majority of Arabs believe Syria’s President Basher al-Assad should resign in the wake of the regime’s brutal treatment of protesters, fewer Syrians are supportive of an immediate leadership change. According to the latest opinion poll commissioned by The Doha Debates, Syrians are more supportive of their president with 55% not wanting him to resign.

Arabs want Syria's President Assad to go

Mon, 2 Jan 2012 05:05:00 GMT

Bahrain's ruling family dealt a blow by debate result

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:33:00 GMT

Bahrain’s ruling family was dealt a blow at the latest Doha Debate after an audience of mainly young Arabs said the monarchy was unlikely to make good their promise to reform.

�Assad must go� according to Doha Debates audience

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:18:00 GMT

Doha,Qatar, November 27, 2011

The reputation of Syria’s President Bashar Al Assad came under sustained attack at the latest Doha Debate, where more than 90 percent of the audience called on him to resign.

The session provoked tense and often bitter exchanges between panellists, who argued that Assad should stay and reform, and young, predominantly Arab debaters who repeatedly condemned the killing of more than 3,500 people at demonstrations in Syria and the wide-ranging abuse of human rights.

In response to suggestions that the uprising was initiated by foreign powers – a version of events, touted widely by the regime – one female audience member declared: “This is a Syrian revolution and it’s insulting to keep insisting that it was inspired outside.”

Egypt�s military rulers not interested in genuine reform

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:23:00 GMT

Cairo, Egypt. A noisy, argumentative group of young Egyptians last night used a public forum in Cairo to voice scepticism about their military rulers, claiming they’re not interested in genuine reform.

The session kicked off the eighth series of the award-winning Doha Debates, a month before Egyptians are due to vote in their first parliamentary elections since the Mubarak regime was ousted in February.

Nearly 85 percent of the mainly-student audience signaled their disbelief in the army’s reformist credentials, many citing reports of maltreatment in military prisons, interference with the media and unfair trials of civilians.

But retired General and former diplomat Sameh Seif-Elyazal rejected the charges, saying “people gave the army the right to take power. Seventy percent of what they are doing is right.”

Huge majority of Arabs want Gaddafi removed from power

Wed, 18 May 2011 13:11:00 GMT

A staggering 75 percent of Arabs want to see the Libyan leader Colonel Muammar Gaddafi forcibly removed from power, according to an opinion poll commissioned by The Doha Debates.

A similar number of respondents support immediate, external intervention in Libya, but insist that Arab governments should mount the operation, without assistance from NATO.

In April, by contrast, more than half the mainly-Arab audience at The Doha Debates supported military action led by the Western alliance. The latest opinion survey was conducted between April 26 and May 2 by 1,000 respondents in 16 Arab states.

Only one in 10 Arabs now believe Colonel Gaddafi is legitimate - compared to 41 percent who have thrown their support behind the National Transitional Council based in Benghazi.

Arabs should stay out of the conflict in Libya and leave it to NATO

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 09:29:00 GMT

Arab governments should stay out of the conflict in Libya and leave it to NATO, according to a majority vote at The Doha Debates.

In a tense, argumentative session, the mainly-Arab audience heard repeated claims that their own governments lacked both the power and commitment to protect civilians in Libya.

Aisha Aghliw, from Misrata, scene of heavy fighting between rebel and pro-Gaddafi forces, said, “all Libyans would have liked to see Arabs come to their help. Libyans were crying for help for one month and no one came. We could not have waited another month".

Doha Debates hold first video link-up since revolution with students in Egypt

Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:14:00 GMT

The Doha Debates provided new analysis of current events in the region with the first video link-up since the revolution between students in Qatar and their counterparts in Egypt.

Egyptians tell military rulers: don't push us into quick elections

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:54:00 GMT

Egyptians have told their military rulers they won’t be rushed into parliamentary and presidential elections later this year, following last month’s overthrow of the Mubarak regime.

In a special post-revolution discussion, staged by The Doha Debates, an audience of mainly students and young professionals voted 84.4% for the motion: "This House believes for the sake of democracy Egypt should postpone elections".

The debate, held at the American University of Cairo's old campus in Tahrir Square, provoked heated arguments between young participants and a senior member of the Muslim Brotherhood, widely believed to the most organized political force in the country.