On November 8, Azm University hosted a debate on whether “Love Is Necessary for a Happy Marriage,” and those opposing the motion made the more significant impact on the audience. At the end of the debate the majority of the audience agreed that love is not necessary.
At the start of the debate, the audience of faculty, staff and students, voted in favor of the motion with 57% of the votes; however, a vote taken after the debaters defended their positions, showed a shift to the other side. Love was deemed not necessary for a happy marriage by 55% of the audience.
Those defending the motion were Ms. Afaf Yafi and Ms. Sandy Al Shaar, both of whom argued that love is a necessary ingredient to a happy marriage, albeit not the only one. Mr. Maher Khani and Lawyer Rana Al Sheikh argued that love hardly ever proves to be a lasting bond for a happy marriage, and made the better argument swaying some members of the audience to their side.
The debate was graciously moderated by Azm faculty member Lawyer Amira Rafei who opened the floor for a very lively discussion.
The debate was the second in a series, modelled after the famous Oxford Union format, and a third will be announced soon.