JOSEPH VARGHESE

DOHA TEAM Lebanon won the first-ever International Schools Arab debating championship conducted by the QatarDebate Center.

Lebanon beat Jordan in the event’s grand finale held at the Students Center over the weekend.

Tunisia came third in the tournament.

Altogether 21 Arab nations took part in the event.

Nouf al Hammadi from the UAE was adjudged the ‘best speaker of the competition’.

Minister of Education and Higher Education and Secretary-General of the Higher Education Council HE Saad bin Ibrahim al Mahmoud gave away the prizes.

Vice-Chairperson of Qatar Foundation Dr Saif al Hajri, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Education Rabiha al Kaabi, and Head of Education Authority at the Higher Education Council Prof Sabah al Hydoos, among other dignitaries, were also present during the closing ceremony. The tournament ran from April 1 to April 4
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Dr Hayat Abdullah Maarafi, executive director of QatarDebate, stressed that the championship’s goal was not to have winners or losers. “The tournament is all about sharing the expertise and skills that we have gained, mastered and implemented. Let us vow to make this championship a ray of light and hope that will always shine through languages, literature and dialogue,” she said.

Maarafi also noted that the championship had sought to enable the participants to use formal Arabic for some time, “develop their minds and souls, and teach them to respect and embrace others and their opinions”.

The closing ceremony also featured the final round of the debate between Lebanon and Jordan on the topic: ‘Should judicial immunity be given to tyrants in exchange for their abdication’, with the Lebanese team supporting the motion and the Jordanian team opposing it.

Debating skills and competitive spirits were on display during the debate, with the Lebanese team stating that heroism cannot be achieved through bloodshed, and that the tyrant’s blood does not equal the blood of hundreds of thousands of people. They added that if tyrants were given immunity, they will undoubtedly step down, thus giving the Arab people what they want.

The Jordanian team was firmly opposed to this viewpoint, stating that it was totally unacceptable for them that tyrants escape trials and givinga them immunity would only embolden them to shed more blood.

The tournament had four rounds of competition. It was followed by quarter-final and semifinal.

In the semi finals, Lebanon defeated Tunisia while Jordan defeated Kuwait. Ten best speakers of the competition were also announced and honoured during the closing ceremony. These best speakers were as follows: Nouf al Hammadi (the UAE), Reem Issam al Din (Sudan), Tamara Jamal al Din (Lebanon), Mesaab Ahmed al Hammadi (the UAE), Nassima al Kondoussi (Morocco), Ihab al Jamal (Tunisia), Motazz Ghassan Abdul Rahman (Malaysia), Oumamiyya al Hajri (Tunisia) Yusuf Nabil Fakhro (Qatar) and Osama Ahmed al Mubayydin (Jordan).