Why Qatar is emerging as Middle East peacemaker

It was uniquely positioned to broker a deal this week between warring factions in Lebanon.

from the May 23, 2008 edition

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"The actions of Turkey and Qatar suggest we are moving away from the black-and-white dichotomies of the higher Bush years," says Mr. Salem. "Now mediators, like Qatar and Turkey, are trying to find accommodation between players previously considered as either good or evil."

But it is not all about hard politics and diplomacy. Qatar pioneered a new era in Arab television news coverage with Al Jazeera, the influential Arabic television channel. Since its launch in 1996, it has broken taboos with its critical coverage of Middle East affairs, often earning outraged accusations of bias from the US and the anger of Arab regimes. Al Jazeera's broadcasts soured relations between Qatar and neighboring Saudi Arabia. And although fences between the two states have been mended, many Qataris are unapologetic for incurring the displeasure of their powerful neighbor.

"We are not a close-minded society like Saudi Arabia," says a prominent Qatari property developer, who requested anonymity. "We are a more wealthy society than Saudi Arabia, with better distribution of wealth and a better education system and better opportunities for employment."

In 2004, the Qatar Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization, hosted the first Doha Debates, a televised political debate program that has since become the top-rated show on BBC World, the BBC's nondomestic channel. The format of the debates relies on four speakers – two on each side – who argue for and against a motion before an audience of 350 people. Hosted by Tim Sebastian, a former BBC journalist, the debates have tackled some controversial issues, including whether the time has come to talk to Al Qaeda and whether the Palestinians should give up the right of return to their former homes in Israel.

"The appetite for what we are doing is amazing. It's been taken up with such gusto and passion," says Ali Willis, the producer of the series.

Last month, the Doha Debates asked if the Sunni-Shiite conflict is damaging Islam's reputation as a religion of peace. The subject generated lively arguments from the four panelists and especially from the mainly youthful audience. The final vote went against the motion.

"Basically, I love to debate," says Mohammed Sheikh al-Souk, 21, a mechanical engineer who said he has attended up to 15 of the debates. "Something like this is very rare in the Arab world. We don't usually get a chance to say what we want."

The success of the series has led to a spin-off national debating league, inaugurated this year with 20 teams from schools and colleges participating.

"We reached the finals but lost," says Talal Burshaid, a student at the Qatari Leadership Academy.

His friend, Majid al-Badi, added that the debates were helping young Qataris appreciate the importance of tolerance for other views.

"Three years ago I would have been very aggressive against anyone who spoke out against Islam," he says. "But now I will argue and debate with them instead."

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