Doha, QATAR: February 20th - A public forum in the Gulf State of Qatar has joined in the bitter European debate about Muslims who wear the Niqab - or face veil - branding it "a barrier to integration in the West".
The controversial discussion - latest in the series of independently-produced Doha Debates - was attended by the Emir's wife Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, as well as students from across the Arab world.
In a surprise vote, fifty-seven per cent of the audience said the Niqab hindered integration in the West, appearing to support comments from Western leaders such as Britain's Tony Blair, who has termed the veil "a mark of separation".
It is believed to be the first time that a public gathering in the Arab world has entered the European debate over the Niqab and voiced such strong reservations about its use in the West.
British Muslim Peer, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, said that he had no wish to ban the veil in Britain, but he had strong concerns about the image it projected of Muslims.
"People can wear whatever they like.....(but) my worry is that a person wearing the Niqab will become a symbol of Islam and will exclude me and many others from representing my point of view."
Echoing his sentiments, Reem Maghribi, founder of Sharq, an English-Language Arab culture magazine, said Britons were "fearful of the unknown" and that the 9/11 and 7/7 events have turned Muslims into "the other".
"If Muslims are to represent themselves and their religion as pragmatic and peaceful then certainly fighting for a right that is not required by Islam and that instils fear in others ... is hindering integration."
Arguing against the motion was Ayshah Ismail, a British teacher from Lancashire who took up wearing the Niqab last year. "The veil is not a barrier but an excuse for those who want to use it as a barrier," she said, blaming the controversy on ignorance and media hype.
She denied that it had affected either her integration into British society or her ability to communicate.
The programme, recorded at Qatar Foundation headquarters in Doha, will be broadcast on BBC World on Saturday March 10 (12:10 and repeated 20:10 GMT) and on Sunday March 11 (01:10 and repeated 08:10 and 17:10 GMT). The Doha Debates are sponsored and commissioned by the Qatar Foundation, but independently produced.
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About The Doha Debates
The Doha Debates are a forum for free speech in the Arab world. Their aim is to advocate and encourage a public exploration of the important issues in the Arab and Islamic worlds. The principles of free speech and democratic decision-making are applied through the use of a traditional debating format.
The Doha Debates form part of the vital push for change and reform that is being spearheaded in Qatar. The programme is a unique venture for this region and represents a vital exercise for a free and modern society.
The Doha Debates are now in their third series and are broadcast around the globe on BBC World.
The Doha Debates have a format similar to the traditional 'Oxford Union' debate, where discussion centres on a "motion", in the form of a controversial statement. Two teams argue for and against the motion; the discussion is then thrown open to the audience, directed by the chairman, Tim Sebastian.
At the end of the debate, a vote is taken and the chairman announces the result, declaring the motion to have been passed or rejected by "the House".
Tim Sebastian's international reputation of tough questioning and straight talking sets the tone of this groundbreaking enterprise.
The Doha Debates audience is made up of people living in or visiting Qatar and nearly half of the audience is comprised of university and senior high school students.
The student audience is chosen from more than 15 schools and universities in Doha and come from a wide range of different countries in the Arab world and beyond.
For more information please visit: http://www.thedohadebates.com
About Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development
The Qatar Foundation is a private, non-profit organization whose vision is to develop and realise people's full potential. Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned serves as the chairperson of Qatar Foundation.
Qatar Foundation is the driving force behind Education City, a center for educational excellence in the region, where world-renowned universities share research and educate students in fields of critical importance to the GCC region.
Education City houses educational facilities from school age to research level and branch campuses of some of the world's leading universities, including: Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, Texas A&M University at Qatar and Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar.
Education City is also home to the Qatar Academy, The Learning Center, The Academic Bridge Program, Qatar Leadership Academy, Doha Debates and Al-Jazeera Children's Channel.
The latest projects of the Qatar Foundation include the Qatar Science and Technology Park, a research zone committed to the development of regional entrepreneurs and young innovators; a Specialty Teaching Hospital; an Islamic studies centre and a school of communications and journalism.
For more information please visit: http://www.qf.edu.qa/
For Further Information, please contact:
Rouba Zeidan
Memac Ogilvy PR
Mobile: +9745765912 / +9613537437
Email: rouba.zeidan@ogilvy.com
Nawel Benoumeur
Memac Ogilvy PR
Email: nawel.benoumeur@ogilvy.com
© Press Release 2007
