Isaura Daniel*
São Paulo – The Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (CCAB) delivered yesterday the second honorary member title to a person from the Arab community in Brazil. Senator Romeu Tuma, a descendant of Syrians, was honoured, at the offices of the CCAB, for his work for the country. Tuma is currently in his second term in senate for the state of São Paulo and is recognized for his work in the area of public safety.
Before Tuma, only diplomat Osmar Chohfi, who is currently the head of the permanent Brazilian Foreign Office (Itamaraty) mission at the Organization of American States (OAS), received the homage. The objective of the title is to recognize the work of descendants of the Arab community for the Brazilian society. "Since the first immigrants arrived until today, there have been many examples of success that the Arab community brought to the Brazilian society," stated the CCAB president, Antonio Sarkis Jr.
Tuma was elected senator for the first time in 1995, with 5.5 million votes, and again in 2002, with 7.2 million votes. "The enormous vote received in the elections shows the trust of the population of the state of São Paulo in the political and social projects of the senator," stated Sarkis during the homage. "The character, competence and engagement to his ideals make senator Romeu Tuma one of the most respected people in this country," he added.
The senator was touched by the homage. He received a plate from the hands of the president of the Administrative Board of the CCAB, Walid Yazigi. During his statement, Tuma recalled the story of Arab immigrants who arrived in Brazil after opportunities for growth and stated that his father was also part of this group. Tuma spoke about the efforts made by his father, the late Zike Tuma, for his children to be able to study. "He, in the sky, is pouring with tears of joy on seeing his son being praised by the colony," stated Tuma.
The senator spoke about the initiatives for closer ties between the Arabs and the Brazilians taken by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, including the promotion of the summit between Arab and South American countries, which took place in May, in Brazilian capital Brasília, and the presidential tour of five Arab countries, at the end of 2003. "Brazil currently represents to the world the hope of all people," he said.
The governor of the state of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, also participated in the homage. "The CCAB is thanking Tuma. I also came here to thank him," stated the governor. Alckmin mentioned the importance of the senator in the approval of projects for the state of São Paulo in Brasília. "All the projects for works in the state must be approved by the Senate and the senator gives great speed to this," he said. "Here we hear the story of a son of immigrants, a civil servant of excellence, dedicated, brave, respected, but extremely affable," stated the governor. He also recalled the importance of the Arabs to the state, mainly in the development of industry and trade.
Tuma
Tuma was born in São Paulo in 1931 and started his career as a police investigator. Recognition for his work in public safety made him pursue higher positions, like that of secretary of the Federal Police and of the Internal Revenues Service. It was the merit in this area that gave him millions of votes on the first time he ran for Senate, in 1995.
Tuma is currently a member of the Council of Ethics of the Senate and occupies the vice presidency of the Interpol, which brings together the police forces of 178 nations. Among his works of greatest repercussion are the capture of Italian Mafioso Thomazzo Buscheta, whose confessions made it possible to disassemble part of the Mafia in the United States and Italy. The senator has also travelled to various countries so as to recover money stolen from Brazil.
Tuma is normally ahead of bills regarding the security sector. He was the relator of the bill that established 14 kinds of alternative sentences to delinquents who present low level of danger. The senator is also one of the professors of the Braz Cubas University Law School, in the city of Mogi das Cruzes, in the southeastern Brazilian state of São Paulo.
Homage
Apart from the governor, Sarkis and Yazigi, other people participating in the event included the president of the Legislative Assembly of the state of São Paulo, Rodrigo Garcia, lower house representative Jamil Murad and the secretary general of the CCAB, Michel Alaby.
*Translated by Mark Ament
