São Paulo – The effects of Lebanese domestic conflicts and Brazil’s stance over them will be discussed in the event 40 years of Civil War in Lebanon (1975-2015) – Talks on Colonialism and Orientalism, organized by São Paulo Federal University (Unifesp) and scheduled for November 18th in Guarulhos, in the São Paulo metro area, starting at 3 PM.
“It’s an opportunity for discussing the issue within the context of the Syrian and refugee crises. Brazil was the destination for refugees from Lebanon and, today, Syria brought up this same question for Brazil again”, explained Samira Adel Osman, professor of History of Asia at Unifesp and one of the organizers of the event.
Professors from Unifesp and also from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro will participate in the meeting. There will be a screening of a movie about the civil war period in the Arab country, which lasted from 1975 to 1990, debates and lectures.
According to Osman, the two wars, in Lebanon and in Syria, have similarities among them. “They are wars that started internally. In Lebanon with groups fighting for power, and in Syria, for the overthrowing of Bashar Al-Assad, and both had interference from other countries, making them international conflicts”, she said.
The professor, who studies the Middle East, pointed out that the immigrant flow from Lebanon to Brazil was always steady, while the Syrian one was stronger at the beginning of the 20th century, being interrupted afterwards. However, the war that started in Syria in 2011 forced its population to take the path to Brazil again.
She underlined also the role of Brazil in the welcoming of Syrian refugees in comparison to the treatment given to them by the European countries. “This issue of humanitarian help reverberates positively [to Brazil], in light of how Europe has been handling the matter”, she said.
The professor reminded that it was only after the publication of the image of the Syrian boy Ailan Kurdi, who appeared dead, drowned, on a beach in Turkey in September, that the European nations became a little more worried with the issue. “Brazil has a more positive stance”, she assessed.
Service
40 years of Civil War in Lebanon (1975-2015) – Talks on Colonialism and Orientalism
November 18th, starting at 3 PM
Place: Teatro Adamastor
Avenida Monteiro Lobato, 734 – Guarulhos – SP
The event is free of charge and open to the general public
*Translated by Sérgio Kakitani
