In the news: 2009

"The Arabic page extends our reach enormously into the Arab world, and we are looking forward to a response to our debates from a much wider audience", Tim Sebastian said.

Five Emirati journalists from various media outlets were invited to attend and all said they would. But then, a few days ago, they pulled out, just like that...Now, just maybe, all of a sudden they had a better story to cover. Or perhaps someone thought the people of the Emirates wouldn't be interested in the controversial, impassioned arguments that would be put forward. After all it's only one of the hottest political and social topics in the region right now.

A survey by YouGov, commissioned by Qatar's Doha Debates and published last week, found that on the Arab side 80 per cent of those surveyed do not believe Iran's assurances that it is not trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Tanya Sakzewski, Series Producer of The Doha Debates, gives an insight into the Qatar-based programme that enjoys an international following.

"This is a snapshot of educated young people from Arab countries who have a unique platform to discuss and debate issues, even when they are taboo," says Sebastian. Over the years he has hosted in the Doha studio Israeli President Shimon Peres and Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zahar, albeit on different occasions. He asserts that the authorities neither intervene in the selection of invitees nor in the choice of the topic that will be debated, "We show them [the audience] that they can ask questions and that this is our most powerful weapon."

The emotionally charged debate, which will be broadcast seven times this weekend on BBC World, exposes a wellspring of anxiety and anger about Iran's nuclear program among those in the Middle East who would be caught in the crossfire of any war.

During the question and answer session of this week's Doha Debates, a Qatari student named Donna stood up and asked one of the guest analysts a tough question about political trust, then pressed him to give an honest response. This exchange raised the question: why aren't there many TV shows like this in the United States?

The program that thrills these students isn't a reality show, a religious forum, or a sexy soap opera. It's something far more ordinary - but also mightier. As the show's producers like to say, it's about "the power to change minds" - through words.

When the Doha Debates began five years ago as an in-house experiment by the state-run Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, few could have predicted they would become, arguably, the Arab world’s freest platform for debate, winning regional and global renown in the process.

The fact that the conversation took place was a step forward for the region. And in the end of the day, that is the ultimate goal of the Doha Debates - to talk about controversial topics in a public forum and to began dialogue for a more productive and healthy future.

"With the pressure that exists on free speech throughout the region and the rest of the world, I feel that we need to continue to stand up for it in a conspicuous manner and we also need to make people aware of the clear benefits of free speech such as informing people, allowing them to make up their own minds, and hopefully helping discover solutions to some of the problems they face."

In an unexpected move an Arab forum approved efforts by the International Criminal Court to try the Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir on war crimes in Darfur since 2003.

Despite claiming continued support for Israel, a majority of US residents want a change in policy towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A decisive plurality said US aid to Israel is "too much", and a majority want to see Israel penalised for building new settlements on Palestinian land.

Tim Sebastian, world renowned journalist, currently the host of The Doha Debates and former host of BBC World's famed talk show HardTalk was in Washington DC to host Doha Debates at Georgetown University.... Urdu VOA's Beyond the Headlines caught up with Tim Sebastian to talk about his vision behind the show and the present condition of broadcast Journalism.

This weekend, BBC World Television will host The Doha Debates, a forum for spirited discussion about Middle East policy issues. Tim Sebastian, the former BBC correspondent, is founder and moderator of the debates. Sebastian discusses the latest meet up at Georgetown University, which focused on US policy towards Israel.

Josh Mogil (SFS ’11) said that he particularly enjoyed listening to the proposals presented by Dershowitz and Burg.
“I thought this well-reasoned debate — with voting at the end — was a wonderful exercise in American democracy,” he said.

Given recent events, the subject of the debate is not only timely but also particularly top-of-mind for people in the Middle East. "After the latest violence between Palestinians and Israelis, it's important to debate how the US will apply its considerable pressure in the region. Will the new  president realign American priorities or will it be business as usual?" asks Sebastian in his direct, matter of-fact manner.

To say this is a controversial topic may be too mild a statement. But then again, neither Sebastian, nor his sponsors - the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, nor the government of Qatar have shied away from controversial issues in the past.

The Doha Debates, Qatar’s world-famous forum for free speech, are to hold a session next month at Georgetown University in Washington DC, to debate the Obama administration’s policies in the Middle East.

Let us be clear, Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups are not representative of “political Islam” because they don’t believe in politics. Instead they advocate violent methods with the aim to terrorise populations.

This contentious issue anchored last week's prestigious Doha Debates moderated by veteran BBC journalist Tim Sebastian in Qatar, which hosts controversial topics in front of a diverse, engaged audience of 350 people.