São Paulo – They are in all walks of political, economic and social life in Brazil. Many, truly many, are in prominent positions. One example is the largest city in South America, São Paulo, whose mayor, Gilberto Kassab, is of Lebanese origin. The same may be said about the current Brazilian minister of Education, Fernando Haddad, the personal physician of president Lula, cardiologist Roberto Kalil Filho, and the most famous wedding organizer in Brazil, businesswoman Vera Simão, all whose roots are in Lebanon.
Whatever the area of operation, the characteristic that brings them together is the entrepreneurial talent and respect for values like ethics and respect to others, above all other objectives. Together, every day they write a story of work and, mainly, of pride for their origins.
“In my veins flow safihas and kibbehs,” guarantees Roberto Kalil Filho, president Lula’s doctor and the director of the Cardiology Centre at the Syrian Lebanese Hospital. Such passion for his roots causes the cardiologist, to date, to follow a lesson he was taught by his mother: “Always hold your head up high to face problems with dignity and succeed in life.”
Apart from Kalil, other prominent Brazilian doctors of Arab origin are Adib Jatene, the most famous Brazilian cardiology surgeon, and Riad Younes, a specialist in lung cancer who got here at the age of 16, escaping the civil war in Lebanon. And he helped generate international projection for the São Paulo Cancer Hospital.
Also from Lebanon came the relatives of Education minister Fernando Haddad. “My father came to Brazil in 1947. He was the last one to come to Brazil to meet his family,” said Haddad.
Apart from that, public men like the president of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (Fiesp), Paulo Skaf, are proud to speak about their Arab origins. Ahead of the main union of industries in the state that answers to 33.9% of the GDP of Brazil, Skaf explains that his talent for business comes from the crib.
“The Arab tradition and the talent for trade is part of my roots. I started working at a very young age, assisting at shops during Christmas,” he said. “My first important sale was at the age of 14, when I got a good commission for the sale of some real estate on Paulista Avenue. To my father and me, the sensation was one of fulfilment, and he showed the check I got as commission to his friends, very proud,” he recalls.
Another successful businessman, the Marketing and Expansion director at Ri Happy Brinquedos, a chain with 94 units in 17 states in the country, Ricardo Sayon is also proud of being of Arab descent. “The first immigrants were heroes,” said Sayon. “I love Arab culture. We express solidarity, emotion, passion. We are capable of fighting for one cent and then paying a thousand times more just to help a friend, for the pleasure of it,” he explained.
What remained of this personal and professional heritage for the owner of Ri Happy? Two important lessons learnt from his father and closely followed to date. “He says that principles and relations are above business and that all definite decisions must be postponed to the next day, so there is time to ponder and act calmly,” he said.
It is values like this that businesswoman Vera Simão refers to when she talks about her Arab origin (her father was Lebanese and her grandparents on her mother’s side were also from that country). “At home, I learnt the importance of ethics, correctness, respect for people and sincerity in business,” she said. Responsible for establishing the first wedding sector fair in the country, Casar, in 2002, Vera has been working in the event area for 30 years. And she feels she is part of a victorious story, which began with the arrival of the first immigrants and is celebrated today in the National Day of the Arab Community. “I feel as if I had lived many lives, all those that came before. I bring this story in my DNA,” she said.
Such a rich history serves as raw material for artists. The same who, with sensitivity and talent, made different references into art. This is the case with writer Alberto Mussa, from Rio de Janeiro, who is the author, among other works, of The Enigma of Qaf, The Pendular Movement and Elegbara, published by Record. The author’s origins are in the pages of his books. And they greatly influenced him. “My grandfather on my father’s side, born in Lebanon, was an educated man. He had an enormous library and spoke ten languages,” he explains.
Another illustrious representative of the community, artist and professor Ferres Khoury, also brings in his productions the influences he had. “It is good being a son of Lebanese, having made contact with other cultures inserted into Brazilian culture,” says the artist, who uses Arabic calligraphy as an artistic model. In life, Khoury says that he owes to his father the care he takes when opening his home up to friends. “He liked being well treated, establishing close ties with people,” he said, referring to a tradition that, way beyond his family, became engraved in an important page of the history of Brazil.
*Translated by Mark Ament
