It is a loud voice beaming out of the tiny Middle Eastern peninsula country of Qatar in the Persian Gulf. Since its inception in 1996, it has been raising eyebrows in the Middle East and elsewhere for its provocative approach to news and analysis.

After Sept. 11, the Al-Jazeera satellite channel, the first 24-hour all-news network in the Arab world, won international notice for its exclusive footage from Afghanistan and its broadcast of a series of taped speeches from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Its pride, however, lies in its talk shows, which touch on issues considered forbidden by Arab standards - polygamy, sex, government corruption and women's civil rights. In the Arab world, some viewers shudder at the daring; others wonder how they ever watched television before Al-Jazeera.

Al-Jazeera's flagship talk show is The Opposite Direction, which is modeled on CNN's Crossfire. In a live, two-hour weekly broadcast, two guests from oppposite sides meet face to face in debate and take calls from viewers.

The following is an excerpt from a recent episode, which discussed the boycott of U.S. products in the Arab world, offering an example of the points of view presented to Al-Jazeera viewers:

Faisal Al-Kasim, the program's host: "Why are some people trying to undermine the impact of boycotting the American products in the Arab world? Boycott was invented by the Western world. If you surf the Internet, you will find many European companies calling for boycotting one product or another for trivial reasons. In fact, America's modern history is a witness to many sanctions and economic embargoes set by the American administration on several countries.

So, why are some people blaming the Arabs for using the boycott weapon against a country that supports Israel in its committing war crimes against innocent civilians? On the other hand, what is the use of all these public efforts for boycott when seven Arab governments have increased their trade exchange with America and Israel during the current Palestinian uprising? Can we affect the American economy if their exports to the Arab world do not exceed 2 percent of their total exports?"

Abdel-hamid Al-Ansari, dean of the School of Islamic Canonical Law, Qatar University, and one of the strongest opponents of the boycott policy:

"Boycott is a two-edge weapon. I don't want this weapon to be directed at us. Boycotting the American food chains in the Arab countries, for example, would [result in laying off] Arab workers. So, we have to be selective in our boycott policy. For example, we cannot boycott technology that we cannot manufacture like computers and satellite dishes."

Amin Iskandar, coordinator of the Popular Movement for the Resistance of Zionism and American Domination in the Arab World:

"We are not against the Western civilization or the American people; we are against the American foreign policy that works against the Arab interests. The boycott policy we are calling for does not just have economic connotations. It also addresses a cultural aspect. American products like McDonald's, KFC and Pepsi are symbols of the American cultural invasion of our societies. Some European countries like France have declared war against the American movie industry to preserve their cultural identities. Why can't we do the same?"

Al-Ansari: "But these American food chains use Arab raw material and employ more than 100,000 Arab employees. Can you find jobs for those people who would be laid off as a result of the boycott?"

Iskandar: "It would be better to use the large investments in the American food chains to open up national Arab restaurants with national investments. When you start discussing the rights of Arab employees getting laid off as a result of boycotting American products, where were these rights when 180,000 Egyptian workers were laid off as a result of privatization?"

Al-Kasim to Iskandar: "But I would like you to respond to the argument that it would be a big mistake to boycott the American food chains because more than 90 percent of the raw material, expertise, etc., that they use come from Arab countries. And a very minimal portion of their profits goes to the headquarters. So, boycotting these chains would affect the Arab national economy."

Iskandar: "I am not just talking about economic consumption, but I am talking about cultural assimilation and Americanizing our Arab youth."

Arab caller from Jordan: "The American companies operating in the Arab world have lost millions of dollars as a result of the boycott during the past few months, and this is a political message from us to the American administration, which supports Israel. The language of boycott is more effective than the language of begging in our dealings with America. On another note, I hope that Al-Jazeera channel, which has been inviting Israeli officials as guests on its programs, would lead a media-boycott policy by preventing Zionist personalities from appearing on our screens."

Another Al-Jazeera talk show, called For Women Only (with women as host and guests), discussed female prostitution in the Arab world in an episode May 27.

Montaha Al-Ramhi, host: "Out on the street or inside a hotel room, young girls sell their bodies voluntarily or by force in return for very little money. Female prostitution has been on the rise over the past few years. Who is responsible for this phenomenon?"

Fareeda Al-Nakkash, director of a development program in Egypt: "The first party to be blamed for such a terrible crime against humanity is the capitalistic system, which rests on achieving profit at any cost, even if it means selling young women's bodies. Second, the prostitution mafias try to make more money by attracting more women. Third, the woman herself is responsible. Most women who become prostitutes are forced to do so due to poverty, unemployment, despair and family disintegration. There are over 700 million poor women in the world. Many of these women become vulnerable to prostitution."

Emily Naffa', a Jordanian women's rights activist:

"I think the fact that the gap between rich and poor countries has widened has contributed to the increase in prostitution. We find that most of the female prostitutes come from the developing countries or from countries which are going through a transitional economic stage like Russia, where there is cooperation between the prostitution mafias and some political figures in exporting female prostitutes to other countries. Having said that, I think that the countries receiving female prostitutes are also responsible for such a phenomenon. These countries need to be more aggressive in fighting prostitution."

Al-Nakkash: "We should draw attention to the negative impact of pornography channels received through the satellite dishes. We should find a way to prevent these channels from reaching our viewers."

Naffa: "A bigger problem is the absence of democracy and personal freedoms in the Arab world. In such an environment, the Arab woman cannot protect her social rights."

Mohammed el-Nawawy is the author, with Adel Iskandar, of Al-Jazeera: How the Free Arab News Network Scooped the World and Changed the Middle East.