Mosque in Athens- IQ2 Debate- Highlights - Part 1 of 2
Channel: pengulu1
Date: 2011-04-15

Intelligence Squared [IQ2] and the British Council in Greece present a debate on the controversial subject of whether or not a mosque should be built in central Athens.

Arguing that "only good" can come out of building a mosque in Athens, the main speakers of the event challenged arguments against the construction of a place of worship for the claimed 500,000 Muslims living in and around the Greek capital.

Speaking for the motion were :
-Tariq Ramadan, a professor in contemporary Islamic studies at Oxford University, and a noted philosopher and theologian who advocates the reinterpretation of Islamic texts.

-Anna Triandafyllidou -- Senior research Fellow at the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and Professor at the European University Institute in Florence.

- Chadi Ayoubi, a correspondent for Al Jazeera in Greece and founder of www.islam.gr.

Speaking against the construction of a mosque in Athens were

- Douglas Murray, an award-winning author, commentator and director of the UK-based Centre for Social Cohesion;

- Melanie Phillips, author of "Londonistan" and of the controversial "The World Turned Upside Down: The Global Battle over God, Truth and Power

-Demetrius Floudas, an international analyst, Visiting Professor at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University and a Senior Associate at Hughes Hall, Cambridge.

The debate was chaired by Sotiris Roussos, Associate Professor in international relations at the University of the Peloponnese.

The team against the motion (Murray, Phillips, Floudas) were the winners of the debate, according to the votes cast by the audience prior and subsequent to the event.