Intermarriage

August 9, 2012

This documentary says it all.

It is about an Argentine woman who discovers that though she is of Italian, Spanish and Irish descent, one of her ancestors, her great-grandfather was a Lebanese Muslim. She set out to discover her distant relatives.

The Muslims were so possessive of their women that it was unthinkable for them to allow women to migrate to Argentina alone. Hence, most of the Muslim men had no women to marry, unless they brought one over with them, or wrote for one expressly for marriage.

The intermarriage rate was high with the result that the children were usually raised Catholic.

The effect of this is stunning.

Source: Islam in Argentina – Pedro Breiger

Arab immigration to Argentina was quite considerable in the late 19th century, after World War I and up to the mid-20th century , having become its third most important immigration wave. Of these immigrants, 40% are estimated to have been Muslims or children or grandchildren of Muslims.

Well, Argentina’s Arabs are about 10% Muslim today, but most are not practicing at all. This means a steady translation over to Christianity, whether by converstion, intermarriage, or just simple neglect.

I am not going to pretend that this is a tragedy. I am Christian, and find this trend very heartening, especially since the Christianization seems to be a product of assimilation, not coercion.

What I do find very heartening is how well the Arabs succeed once they have assimilated. This offers hope not only for the Arabs in Latin America, but for the world was well.

If the Arabs could see that the deck is NOT stacked against them, that Western Civilization has embraced them – at least in Latin America – it would offer them hope. Where hope abounds, extremism will fade away.

The Muslim world may have to ask some painful questions.

Is their monolithic view of Islam helpful or hurtful?

Should they consider Christianity?

If Latin America is any indication, Islam is hurting them.   They should consider Christianity.

In Latin America, the Arab is elite.  Maybe it is time for the Muslim world to reconsider its  insistance on Islam.


September 1, 2020 – Made some changes.

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