About Us

At the Debate Society at Rahma Center, every voice has value.  Our mission is to develop students’ confidence, critical thinking, and communication skills, through fun and competition.
We dive into real world issues and nurture different perspectives, and most importantly, we support each other; we cheer each other on at tournaments, during practices, and throughout our journeys. Whether you’re a veteran or just beginning to find your voice, you’ll find a place here!

What Sets Us Apart

At The Debate Society, we believe that great debaters must also be great listeners, teammates, and thinkers. What truly sets us apart is our focus on building strong teams rooted in empathy, trust, and shared growth. We emphasize the etiquette of debate: teaching our students to argue with logic, refute facts, and respond with kindness, respect, and understanding.
Our students learn to challenge ideas without attacking people, to listen deeply even when they disagree, and to uphold the highest standards of character on and off the podium. Debate at Rahma is about using your voice with wisdom, intention, and heart.

Our Coaches

Our coaching team is led by seasoned attorneys, educators and debaters with a dozen of years of experience in winning national debate competitions as well as helping get their debaters admitted to top tier universities like Stanford, Yale, Harvard UCLA, USC and others.. All our coaches are certified judges with the Orange County Debate League (OCDL) and qualified to bring a high level of insight and fairness to our instruction.

Our Achievements

In the first year of establishing the Debate Society at Rahma Center, our young debaters have earned 7 medals and 1 trophy through debate tournaments with the Orange County Debate League (OCDL), a nationally recognized local league known for its high standards and competitive excellence.
These awards include multiple Distinguished Speaker Awards across several seasons, along with a Distinguished Team Award in February 2025, Masha Allah. We’re now preparing to represent our center at the upcoming OCDL National Championship Debate Tournament this May.
If you believe in what we do and want to help us continue uplifting and empowering young voices, please consider donating to our program: therahmacenter.org/donate
Your donation helps us provide:
  • Scholarships for student debaters who require financial support
  • Research fellowships for young researchers exploring topics that enrich our debate content, deepen learning, and broaden perspectives
  • Entry fees for tournaments, travel costs, training materials etc.
  • A nurturing space where students and scholars grow in knowledge, voice, and impact

As Imam Ali (عليه السلام) said:

“He who has been given eloquence in speech has been given a great portion of good.”

We strive to help every student find their voice, speak with clarity, and use their words to shape the future. Your support fuels the next generation of thoughtful & confident leaders.