The Doha Debate Comedy special: This House believes women are superior to men

TIM SEBASTIAN
Ladies and gentlemen a very good evening to you and welcome to the last in our current series of Doha Debates coming to you from the Gulf State of Qatar and sponsored by the Qatar Foundation. Let's face it, we haven't given you a lot to smile about in recent debates. The Middle East tends to serve up a regular diet of death and destruction mixed in with plenty of lies and broken promises. Come to think of it, maybe not so different from tonight's theme after all. That age old battle for supremacy between men and women, and the question of who's really boss. Our motion tonight, as delicate as any we've chosen before: ‘This House believes that women are superior to men'. Well, four comedians have agreed to wade into these dangerous waters. Speaking for the motion Azhar Usman, a stand up comedian from the US, co-founder of the Allah Made me Funny official Muslim comedy tour. In the United States he's used to getting dirty looks as a Muslim, now that he's in the Arab world he's looking forward to being hated just for being American. And with him, Maysoon Zayid, a stand up comedienne well known in the Middle East, she's co-star of the Arab's Gone Wild comedy tour and admits to having made both friends and enemies. When a woman came to clean her hotel room today she was convinced she was about to be assassinated, so please nobody make any sudden movements tonight. Against the motion, Carrie Quinlan, British actress, writer and comedienne and a regular at the Edinburgh Festival in the UK. She says she's so British she once apologised to a man who was trying to steal her handbag. And with her, Robin Ince, a well known comic performer and writer in Britain. He's recently completed a work featuring some of his favourite bad books, including one entitled, Did Spacemen Colonise the Earth? He says the answer is: ‘No', but when you look around at the panel how can you be sure. Ladies and gentlemen this is our panel. So now let me first call on Azhar Usman to speak for the motion.

Is Obama too weak to make peace in the Middle East

The Doha Debate April 26 2010

TIM SEBASTIAN

Ladies and gentlemen, a very good evening to you and welcome to the latest in our series of Doha debates, coming to you from the Gulf State of Qatar and sponsored by The Qatar Foundation. We've seen decades of American engagement in the Middle East, and when Barack Obama took over The White House a surge of hope, that this youthful, dynamic new leader, might succeed where his predecessors had failed. Last June, with the world still enthralled by him, he told an audience in Cairo that Israel's settlements had to stop, and that the situation for Palestinians was intolerable. Since then Israel has rejected his call, the building work in the settlements goes on and it's the talking that's come to a halt. So, did Mr. Obama dangerously overestimate his powers of persuasion? Or has he had too many other crises, both foreign and domestic, that have blunted his focus on the Middle East? Our motion tonight examines the state of his authority: ‘This house believes that Barack Obama is too weak to make peace in the Middle East'. Your decision, as ever, but before you make it we have an influential panel who will speak on the issue from very different standpoints. Speaking for the motion, Ahmad Moussalli, he's professor at the Department of Political Studies and Public Administration at the American University of Beirut. He specialises in contemporary Islamic movements, political Islam and East-West relations. Also for the motion, Philip Weiss, an investigative reporter who has worked for many years in mainstream US journalism, he's also founder of the website MondoWeiss, that focuses on Israel, Palestine and on Jewish identity issues. Against the motion, Roger Cohen, best known as a columnist for The New York Times and an author. He joined the paper 20 years ago, and since then has been both a correspondent and foreign editor. And with him Sami Abu Roza, a former political advisor in the office of the Palestinian President. He was involved in presenting the Palestinian case against the West Bank barrier to the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Ladies and gentlemen, our panel. So now let me first call on Ahmad Moussalli to speak for the motion.

Should US get tough on Israel ? - The Doha Debate from Georgetown University in Washington DC

This event was held at Gaston Hall at Georgetown University in Washington DC.

The statements and views expressed in the debate are solely those of the Doha Debates and the film participants. They are neither endorsed by nor represent the views of Georgetown University.
Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA’s Bin Laden Unit FOR
Dore Gold, President, Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs AGAINST
Avraham Burg, former Speaker of the Israeli Knesset FOR
Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law Professor AGAINST

Ten students from universities and high schools across Qatar – all with a demonstrated commitment to debating – travelled to Washington to attend the Debate. During their week-long trip, they saw the White House, Washington Monument, Georgetown University, the Pentagon, Camp David, the Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial. They also managed to find time to debate Georgetown students and meet New York Times journalist Thomas Friedman.

Is The Afghan government worth fighting for ? - The Doha Debate

This House believes this Afghan government is not worth fighting for

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".

"A government that is ineffective and in office through fraud cannot work. If foreign troops cannot complete their mission with a reliable partner, they should abandon their mission."

Mirwais Yasini, who came fifth in last summer's Presidential elections, said Afghanistan was being controlled by a "failed government" and that the deals which Mr Karzai had to make with various factions in the country "went beyond the limits of democracy."

Speaking against the motion Lawrence Korb, a senior US defence adviser, argued that despite electoral fraud, the vast majority of Afghans believe their government is on the right track, according to recent opinion polls.