Thought of the Day

The King Fahd Mosque

Latin Arabia King Fahd Mosque, Thought of the Day , 1 Comment
The King Fahd Mosque


Posted on YouTube: January 11, 2019

The King Fahd Mosque was built on eight acres of downtown Buenos Aires on land donated in 1995 to the Saudis by Carlos Menem, the president of Argentina, and the Argentine Congress. Menem was a nominal convert to Catholicism, being himself the son of Syrian born Muslim immigrant parents.

In the 1990s, Buenos Aires was a boom city, and one of the most expensive places on the planet to live (This was before their currency collapse). So donating eight acres was equivalent to donating Bryant Park in Manhattan to the Saudis. One wonders what possessed the Argentine government to donate such prime real estate to the Saudis.

Source: A Tour of South America’s Largest Mosque
(now offline)

Non-Muslims in Argentina don’t seem to know much about this complex other than that former President Carlos Saúl Menem (himself of Syrian descent) was responsible for it. This is somewhat true. King Fahd of Saudia Arabia financed the construction, which totaled some U$15m. Menem’s contribution was arranging the donation of the land, which has been valued at around U$10m. Congress passed a national law in 1995, giving the land to the cultural centre. The first stone was laid on 7th December 1998, not without some slight controversy: neighbours were unsure about the increased traffic and architectural disharmony, among other issues. But the centre opened on 25th September 2000 with much fanfare as King Fahd himself and 250 other dignitaries came from Saudi Arabia to celebrate the opening.
…

It is architecturally beautiful, and positively enormous. – it is the biggest Mosque in South America. But there were only 4,500 practicing Muslims in Buenos Aires, at that time, and there was no need for it. It has given the Saudis a door into Argentina to create future headaches.

Source: The Muslim Community of Argentina
(now offline)

… a realistic guess for the Muslim population of Buenos Aires might be around 4,500, far fewer than the number projected by some Muslim officials.

Already the Mosque’s Islamic Center has caused some controversy. A very popular secular Arab-Argentine show, Desde El Aljibe (From the Well)1 was cancelled to make way for Muslim programming that no one wanted – rumors flew around as the to the reason; but what is interesting is that Argentina’s Arab Community, which is 90% or more Christian were among the loudest to complain.

Islam is roughly 1% of the population in Argentina, but even that number may be grossly exaggerated. As academics have noted, the vast majority of Muslims in Argentina do not practice their religion; and were historically inclined to marry into Catholicism. This mosque may slow or halt that process of assimilation.

Until recently, much of South America was content to remain out of Mideast politics. However, now Iranian and Arab Oil Money have infiltrated this very Christian continent. Every nation in South America, except Colombia, recognized Palestine as a nation and set up embassies.

If the USA and Israel do not wake up, the Arabs will turn South America against Israel. Certainly the Saudis and Iranians won’t convert the mass of the Latins to Islam; but they will spread a virulent anti-Zionism.

1Desde El Aljibe (From the Well) was a generic show about Arab culture, music, cooking, dance, history and travelogues. They even had short lessons on the Arab language, geared to teach the Spanish speaking audience a few phrases.


Music and singing were common on Desde el Aljibe (From the Well).
Source: ElAljibedetodos, a viewer who assembled hundreds of these videos
on his YouTube channel.

The hosts were Christian, but the show was secular. The show had Muslims and Jews on regularly. It was aimed at a generic audience, not just Arab-Argentines. A typical show might have a cooking lesson, some history, maybe a travelogue about Jordan or Syria, etc. There might be a discusson of politics. And it would have Arab or Arab-Latin music; and often close with an Arab folkdance troupe. The show was primarily harmless and pushed no strong agenda. Palestine might be mentioned from time to time, but the show did not beat a war path.

When Desde El Aljibe got cancelled to make way for a blantantly religious Muslim show, centered from the King Fahd Mosque, there was a degree of community protest. Was this due to money or bribes? Did the ratings drop that much because a popular host on the show died? But even if the ratings dropped, why would the show be replaced with a show geared to Muslim prosyletization to a Catholic country?


No one wanted this but the Saudi financed Islamic Center

The fate of Desde El Aljibe seems to be symptomatic of a general trend of growing Arab Oil Money influence in the continent. The issue was not so much that it was cancelled, but that is was replaced by Muslim programming nobody seemed to have wanted but the Islamic Center.

When news got out about the cancellation, FEARAB Argentina (Federation of Arab Societies in Argentina) put out a protest video to stop the cancellation. No one listened, but it does show that the Arab community in Argentina had enough guts to stand up to Islamic encroachment which did not represent them.

Their video – which I translated – is worth watching as it shows a gutsy political incorrectness missing in American political dialogue


The background music is Awal Sahur
a piece by Mario Kirlis, an Arab-Latin musician,
and it was Desde El Aljibe‘s closing theme

Sadly, their request was ignored.

Oct 1, 2018 – Edited: Had to replace video with a more recent one.
Aug 10, 2020 – Edited: Had to replace video again with a more recent one.
May 1, 2021 – Edited: Fixed links. Made mobile friendly.

The Flight of Syrian Christians

Latin Arabia News, Opinion, Syrians, Thought of the Day 0 Comment

While everyone acknowledges that the Bashir Regime is abject tyranny, it at least protected Christians, Alawites, Druze, and minorities.

Now that the FSA (Free Sryian Army) is in control of much of the country, Salafis (Wahabbi extremists) are taking over; and Christians are being persecuted and having to flee.

This is typical of so much of Mideastern history where Christianity has been slowly withered down throughout the ages since Islam took over.

What we may be watching is the last ethnic cleansing of Christians from the Mideast. Christians have already had to flee Iraq after Saddam was toppled. Whatever the faults of Ba’athism, it protected the Christians. As Syria’s Ba’athists are falling, Christians are now being driven out of Syria. Christians are losing their power in Lebanon. The end game is over and Christianity has lost.

This has been a long war. When Islam first took control of Egypt, Christians were the majority for centuries afterward, with only an Islamic elite in power. But Islam sets up disciminatory tax laws which unfairly burden those who refuse to convert. Moreover, any interfaith marriages must be set up where the kids will be Muslim. For ex: Muslim men can have Christian wives, but not the reverse; since religion is determined by the father. Even today in Egypt, a Christian can convert to Islam, but not the reverse.

Slowly, this tyranny erodes Christianity until Islam is demographically set.

Predatory laws like that have whittled away at Christians for centuries. It has been asserted that at the time of the Crusaders, the majority of people in the area were still Christian, and the Crusaders were seen as liberators, contrary to historical revisionism. Yes, the Crusaders acted viciously and badly; but some of the population – certainly the Maronites – preferred them to Muslim rule.

It has been a long slow process, but a determined one. Now, Islam is about to ethnically cleanse the Mideast of the remaining Christians.

There are not that many left.

Between Syria, Lebanon, and Iraq, there are probably 5 million Christians left.

Maybe the West can set up funds for their flight. Latin America could easily absorb a lot of them. They already have. The USA, France, and Spain could take some more in.

These Christian Arabs would constitute 1% of the population if they all went to Latin America. Not enough to create a demographic shock.

Maybe it is time that the Christian world acted in concert to help their own, just like Jews and Muslims do.

NOTE: I am not including the Christian Copts of Egypt who are also under threat. They are eight to nine million strong and may be too many to bring out. They are also the core remnant of the original pre-Islamic Egyptians, and there is something obnoxious about surrendering to Islam in Egypt, when Egypt used to a major center of Christianity.

Chile’s Palestinian Radicalism-03

Latin Arabia Education, Opinion, Palestinians, Thought of the Day, Tourism 0 Comment

Chile has half the world’s Palestinian Christians.

Most Palestinian-Chileans have ancestors who arrived long before 19301, thus making them ineligible for any claim that they were victims of the Nakba. I estimate that only 10,000 or so would even take up the option of the right of return even if it were presented to them.

Yet, even though they are now 3rd and 4th generation Chilean, they have kept up a degree of contact with the homeland. Many, not all, have some relatives – or distant relatives – who are in Judea and Samaria (the contested areas, what the world calls the West Bank). Many are now intermarried with Italian-, German-, Spanish-, and Basque-Chilean stocks, so their ethnic affiliation, while there, is attenuated.

These are among the elites of Chile, and probably among the elites of all of South America, especially concerning the Arab-South American community.

Yet, they are starting to be radicalized. Until the 1980s, except for a few minor political actions, they were not involved in Mideast politics.2 They were busy chiefly with assimilating and amassing wealth, two projects at which they excelled.

But no one can watch daily TV reports of street fighting which may involve distant relatives and not be concerned. Over the years, even as they assimilated even more, they have become more and more anti-Israel.

With their clout, and the cachet of Palestinian identity, Palestinian-Chileans could pull a lot of South American Arabs into their camp. This would not be so good for Israel; if Israel allows recent Iranian and Saudi influences to go uncontested. South America is emerging and too important now to ignore.

Brazil is now the sixth largest economy in the world. Chile is now first world. Argentina has been borderline first world for about 100 years, never managing to cross the line but always approaching it. Uruguay is almost middle class.

The Palestinians of Chile, who are half the world’s Palestinian Christians, and the largest Palestinian colony outside the Mideast have the potential to do great damage or great good for Israel’s case. Israel should not be ignoring this.

The Palestinian-Chileans’ position as elites in South America commands attention.

The first thing Israel should do is realize that whatever happens to the Christians in Judea and Samaria (the contested areas, what the world calls the West Bank) will get back to Chile. Not every Palestinian-Chilean has close relatives in the Mideast anymore, but enough do that any bad news from the Mideast will rifle throughout their community in Chile.

In order for Israel to win support from Palestinian-Chileans, it is necessary for Israel to go easy on the Christians in Judea and Samaria. Israel should differentiate the Christians from the Muslims. This does not have to be proudly broadcast to the world, but it can be communicated quietly to the Christians in both Judea and Samaria; also to their distant brethren in Chile.

Israel ought to remind the Palestinians in Chile that many of the Arabs of South America are descended from those who fled Muslim tyranny; whether the tyranny of Turkish rule, or the slaughters of Christians, which has occurred more than once, both requiring outside intervention to save the Christians3.

Israel must bring up this history when dealing with South American Arabs. They need to be reminded that Islam not Zionism is their traditional enemy.

While Israel is doing nothing, Saudi and Iranian propaganda are coming in and having a devastating effect. The Christian Palestinian community, which should not be supporting Islamist causes, is now supporting Abbas. Groups with Islamic connections are now speaking at Syrian Orthodox Churches in Chile.

Israel should contact the increasingly important Paletinian-Chilean community and cut a deal with them. They will enfranchise their Christian cousins in Judea and Samaria, and give them building permits, in return for a united front against Islam. There are only about 167,000 Arab Christians in Judea and Samaria according to the Wikipedia; which admits this is a high estimate, and the real number is lower. Israel could afford to admit them to Israeli nationality. It would produce a world of good will in Latin America.

This would be a quid pro quo of sorts. Palestinians in Chile would support Israel in exchange for the enfranchisement of their cousins left in the contested areas of the Holy Land.

The Palestinian-Christians might accept it. They have to be aware that no matter who is in charge in the contested areas, the Chritians will be a minority. Better to be a minority under a Jewish state than minority under an increasingly Islamic Palestinian state.

These Westernized Christian Arabs of South America could present an alternative face of the Arabs to the world. The Muslim Arab world would then be faced with alternative definition of what it means to be Arab. Islam might lose its cachet.

Are Arabs backwards, women destroying lunatics; or are they progressive, rich elites? The difference is Christianity. Though unstated, the Arabs might reconsider the wisdom of Islam, which is what Israel would want.

Israel should consider reaching out to the Palestinian-Christian in South America, and view them as a potential ally rather than an opponent.

Palestinian Radicalism-01
Palestinian Radicalism-02
Palestinian Radicalism-03

1See Wikipedia:Arab Chileans “61% of the Arabs arrived in our country did between 1900 and 1930. Over 60% of Arabs who came were between 10 and 30 years old”

Note: I have seen that number go as high as 81% of Palestinians arrived before 1930. (Click Here) What this means to Israel is that only a small portion of the community can lay claim to being Nakba refugees. Probably only one-fifth of the Palestinians in Chile can lay claim to being refugees, or near descendents of the refugees, of the Nakba. Of these, 90% are probably doing so well in Chile, that they would not choose the option of returning even were it presented to them.

2The Stephen Roth Institute for the Studay of Contemporary Anti-Semitism and Racism, wrote in 2001-2, about Chile’s Palestinians, “Until the outbreak of the first intifada there was no evidence of Palestinian antisemitic or anti-Zionist activity.”

3The French intervened in the 19th century. The Israelis intervened in 1982. In both cases, the Christians were on the verge of extinction.

Chile’s Palestinian Radicalism-02

Latin Arabia Education, HispanTV, History, Palestinians, TeleSur, Thought of the Day , , 0 Comment

Yesterday, we examined, albeit incompletely, the radicalizaion of Palestinian-Chileans. We found that two reasons were

1) ethic pride,

2) a myopic historical which forgets that their ancestors were persecuted by Muslims.

The next reason we will examine is the creeping trend of Iranian and Saudi Islamic influence which is shooting throughout all of Latin America.


Posted on YouTube: 2011
Note: TeleSUR is a media project centered in Hugo Chavez’s
Venezuela which owns a 51% share.Translated by someone
better at Spanish than me

TeleSUR (TV South) is a media conglomerate financed by several left wing Latin American countries, with Venezuela financing a majority 51% share. Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is a noted anti-Zionist and supporter of Iran. Naturally, this attitude saturates the Network.

In Buenos Aires, the Saudi funded King Fahd Mosque is now broadcasting Islamic propaganda on a program on Argentine Public TV.


El cálamo y su mensaje/The Quill and its Message1
Saudi Financed!

There has been a strong penetration of Oil Money in South America. Inspite of the still lingering Argentine anger of the Iranian bombing of the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires in 1994, Argentina, along with almost every other country in South America, recognized the Palestinian State.


LEARN TO WRITE & SPEAK ARABIC
If Chilean Arabs are Christian,
why the picture of a Mosque?

This cannot be chalked up to mere Arab nationalism. About half of the Arabs in South America are descended from Lebanese Maronite Christians whose ancestors fled Muslim slaughters in both the 19th and 20th centuries. Maronites tend to have a more Western viewpoint; and tend to moderate against strong anti-Israel sentiment. Christians of Syrian Orthodox descent would also harbor no illusions about the creeping militancy of Islamic advocacy.2 These may have no love for Israel, but they are not going to be given to anti-Israel extremism either.

Only Chile, and Honduras, have noticeably powerful Palestian communities which stand out from other Arabs.

Most of Latin America’s Arabs are Christians who were dhimmis before they emigrated.

What is going on is not merely ethnic pride, nor a myopic historical memory at work, nor even the echo of a Catholic culture’s latent anti-semitism, but a large infusion of cash and a massive effort by Islamic regimes to purchase Latin American influence.

Arab language classes are often held in mosques rather than in non-sectarian settings. Clearly the agenda is more than linguistics. Now, this would not be bad in an of itself, coming under the general heading of Freedom of Religion; but along with it comes a fierce anti-Israel world view.

Adding to the mix is a new Iranian Spanish language network called HispanTV which was meant to counter the Western Media. The program is similar to the English language PressTV3, which is a media shill for Iran.


Complaining about Israeli settlers in Silwan – Iran’s HispanTV

This is clearing Iran pushing an agenda. In America, PressTV is largely unknown. In South America, HispanTV may take off.

Already known is Iran’s use of South American drug running to generate money for Hezbollah.4

Both Arab and Iranian money are filtering into South America to push an Agenda.

In the next part of this discussion we will discuss Israeli mistakes: past, and present; and we’ll what Israel can do to correct this issue.

Palestinian Radicalism-01
Palestinian Radicalism-02
Palestinian Radicalism-03

1More worrying was that a popular Arab-Argentine Show, Desde El Aljibe/From the Well, which was secular and primarly run by Christian Arabs, was cancelled to make way for an Islamic show that almost no one wanted. 90% of Argentine Arabs are Christian. Suspicions run that money and Saudi influence were involved. Likely so, it indicates that Arab Oil Money is wreaking havoc in South America.

2Many Christian Syrians, both internally and externally, support the secular Bashir Assad against the Islamic insurgency.

3PressTV is a viciously anti-Israel network with a large satellite presence – though the UK has recently revoked its broadcast license – and an even larger internet presence . It regularly hosts holocaust deniers, “Jewish conspiracy” theorists, and a host of crackpots who are fobbed off as experts.

It is notable for only having female announcers that wear hijabs; most famously Lauren Booth, a half-sister of Tony Blair’s wife, and convert to Islam.

But its most famous star is the Stentorian British Parliamentarian George Galloway who has two programs on the network; and not just on Press TV: Galloway is on WBAI radio in New York, and has a show in Lebanon. He brags of his mixed Irish and Scottish background and his love for Palestine. Abstemious from alcohol – always a suspicious trait in a Celt – Galloway appeals to Britain’s radical left and Muslim vote. He is very hostile to Israel. After divorcing his first wife, a Christian; Galloway has gone through a succession of Muslim wives. Though Galloway refuses to admit it, the general opinion is that he converted to Islam; though no one is sure whether Sunni or Shi’a.

He would be relegated to the realm of lunatics, except that Galloway is arguably the best orator in the English language since Kennedy or Churchill. He commands a booming voice, and a rhetorical style that is positively breathtaking. He has bested newspaper critics, the Canadian government which sought to ban him, the British Labour party, and even the US Congress, whom he personally castigated before a Senate Committee. He has hosted a popular radio show in Britain and is now back in their Parliament, after winning an election by appealing to the Muslim vote, which is a scary thought in itself.

He is Press TV’s star, and his politics are scary.

4See Hezbollah builds a Western base (in Spanish)(Click Here). While some of the claims are exaggerated, there have been Hezbollah agents captured in the area. (Click Here). The Triple Frontier, where Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil meet, has been a poorly policed smugglers paradise for decades, even before the rise of Islam. It should not surpise anyone that Hezbollah acts in the area. It is believed the crew which did the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires set out from the Triple Frontier.

December 31, 2023 – Change text under a video. Made more mobile friendly.

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