Arabs reject Doha Debate vote on Muslim marriage
June 17, 2009
Arabs reject Doha Debate vote on Muslim marriage
Arabs across the Middle East have voiced serious opposition to a recent vote at the Doha Debates that Muslim women should be free to marry the man of their choice.
An opinion poll, commissioned by the Doha Debates, revealed more than 85 percent of Arabs against the proposition, with the strongest objections coming from women.
The finding stands in stark contrast to the result of the last debate, held on May 25th in Doha, when 62 percent of the mainly-Arab audience voted to remove all restrictions on a Muslim woman's choice of husband.
In the poll carried out by YouGov, 89 percent of women said it was prohibited for Muslim women to marry outside their religion, with the majority citing the Koran as the reason for their conviction.
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The next Doha Debate will be broadcast on BBC World News in October.
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