São Paulo – The Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras) and the Brazilian Foreign Ministry (aka Itamaraty) offered the course Islamic World: society, culture and state last week at Brasília’s Rio Branco Institute, with backing from the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce and the Institute of Arab Culture (Icarabe). The five-day event was mostly geared towards Brazilian diplomats stationed in Muslim countries.
“Our idea was to provide a clearer view of Islam, to demystify the stereotypes,” Fambras chairman Mohamed Zoghbi told ANBA. “Nothing better than diplomats who can see clearly; this is of utmost importance,” he added.
The lecturers spoke on several issues relating to the Muslim countries. The Arab Brazilian Chamber Foreign Trade vice president Rubens Hannun, for instance, discussed the Islamic market, providing a profile of Muslim consumers and what they are attracted to.
According to information from Fambras, the program featured Salem Nasser, a professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV) and chairman of the Icarabe; Paulo Hilu, of the Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro (UFF); Mohamed Habib, of the Campinas State University (Unicamp); Hussein Ali Kalout, of the Harvard University; Jamil Ibrahim Iskandar, of the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp); among others.
“We gave an overview of the politics, the customs, the economics, geopolitics, law and history of Islam,” said Zoghbi, who was also one of the speakers.
Apart from Brazilians stationed in Islamic countries, Zoghbi said the course was attended by undergraduate students at the Rio Branco Institute – the Foreign Ministry’s diplomatic academy – and by diplomats from the Arab world, from other Muslim countries, from Africa and even from Russia and China.
He said the results have been “excellent” and the Foreign Ministry is considering adding part of the contents to the curriculum of the Rio Branco Institute Branco, as well as offering a similar course next year. “We have accomplished our goals,” said Zoghbi.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum