São Paulo – “No people treats immigrants as well as Brazilians do,” said president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva yesterday (Thursday, 25th) while attending a dinner promoted by the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce at the Mount Lebanon Club, in the city of São Paulo, to celebrate the National Day of the Arab Community in Brazil. In addition to hailing the good relations between the two communities, Lula also called for debate on peace between Jews and Palestinians in the Middle East, and stated that such attitude must not be left only to large powers such as the United States.
Aside from celebrating the date, the event was organized by the Chamber in return for Lula’s efforts for establishing closer ties between Brazil and the Arab countries, as he was the first Brazilian head of state to travel to the region. Before him, only (19th century emperor) Dom Pedro II had travelled the same route. Since the beginning of Lula’s government, i.e., from 2003 to 2009, the business volume between the country and the Arab world has risen by 167%.
The president improvised his address and called attention to the integration of Arab immigrants and their descendants in Brazil. “We feel Arab just like you. This tribute is for all of you,” he claimed. In the middle of his address, Lula highlighted the presence at the event of 102-year-old Violeta Jafet, honorary president of the Women’s Beneficent Society, which manages the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital. “No one represents the meaning of the Arab community in Brazil more than you do.”
Stressing the importance of trade relations with the Middle East, Lula stated that the diversification of foreign trade helped the country overcome last year’s economic crisis. “Without it, we would have sunk,” he explained. While discussing greater participation in the international scenario, the president claimed that issues such as peace between Arabs and Jews do not depend solely on the actions of wealthy countries. “Peace in the Middle East is not up to the United States,” he said. “The problem is being addressed the wrong way. There will be no peace until we get the involved parties to sit around the table and start debating,” he asserted.
The declarations regarding peace ended with a mention of the situation of Iran. “I do not want to see a repetition, in Iran, of what took place in Iraq,” he said. “The great powers made up the lie of chemical weapons and, so far, no one has proved anything.”
At the event, Lula was awarded the Grand Collar of the Order of Merit of the Arab Brazilian Chamber of Commerce by the organization’s president, Salim Schahin. He was also presented with a copy of the Koran translated into Portuguese, along with “The Grand Sash,” granted to a Brazilian authority for the first time, which he received from the metropolitan archbishop of the Orthodox Church of São Paulo, Damaskinos Mansour, and a present from the Council of Arab Ambassadors in Brazil. The first lady, Marisa Letícia, was given a blessing in the form of an icon of Our Lady.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
