A Demographer’s Nightmare

There is a demographic issue when accounting for the Arabs in Latin America. For an example: Look at this inconsistency for Colombia (image below).

Screenshots of Wikipedia.

Wikipedia estimated about 800,000 – 3.2 million Lebanese Colombians, out of approximately 50 million people in Colombia. Take a moment to let that enormous spread in estimated numbers sink in.

Now look at the second image. Notice that the Arab diaspora in Columbia is listed at 1.5 million.

Did you notice the contradiction? Lebanese-Colombians could be as high as 3.2 million, but another chart lists only 1.5 million Arab-Colombians.

How can there be more Lebanese-Columbians than Arab-Columbians, when the Lebanese are a subset of Arabs?

This is what makes checking the demographics of Arabs in the Western Hemisphere so hard. As is so often stated, the problem is that many Lebanese refuse to call themselves Arabs.

The number of Arabs in South America is much higher than official figures cite.

Similar inconsistencies crop up in Argentina and the United States. In Australia, the Lebanese do not even have to list their ancestry as Arab, but can cite Syriac (which is a language group, not necessarily Syrian) instead.

I suspect elsewhere as well.

The demographic contradictions stem from the reluctance of Lebanese Christians to identify as Arabs.

Lebanese Christians were horribly persecuted by the Muslims. In the nineteenth century, the French had to intervene in Lebanon to prevent a genocide of Christians by the Muslims. Many Lebanese Christians prefer to call themselves Phoenicians, by virtue of their ancient Phoenician past. Some will get rather indignant if you call them Arabs.

This has led to the odd situation where Lebanese are often considered completely different than Arabs.

Yet, upon arrival in any country, Lebanese Christians speak Arabic, eat Arabic food, and listen to Arabic music. The international community considers them Arabs.

Most of the Lebanese who immigrated to the West were from the Christian community. Muslims were less likely to leave. And, given that Maronite Christianity is affiliated with Roman Catholicism – the dominant religion in Latin America – Lebanese Maronites could seamlessly blend into Catholic communities in one generation. The first generation of kids would be indistinguishable from other Latins.

Complicating the matter, Lebanese Christians, primarily the Maronite Christians, have a portion of European DNA, as a result of their ancestors having intermarried with Europeans Crusaders. In plain terms, they are sometimes slightly whiter than other Arabs, and can often pass for Europeans. In Latin America, whites are often the elite, and Maronites would have had that advantage.

Muslims did immigrate to Latin America, but in smaller numbers, and often decades later, long after the Maronites blended in.

Mixing things up further, Muslim Lebanese certainly consider themselves to be Arabs. So ironically the Muslim-Lebanese would classify themselves as Arabs – in contravention to the Christians – primarily the Maronite Christians – who consider themselves to be Phoenician, not Arabic.

Historically, the Lebanese Christians, who refuse to identify as Arabs, were also determined to blend in, assimilate, and intermarry rather rapidly. So if they are under-reported, it is because they assimilated so well. The Lebanese Christians are a large almost invisible community.

The migration of Lebanese Christians to the Americas was rather large, and the result is that glaring inconsistencies in demographics can occur. Hence the number of Arabs in any country in the Western Hemisphere is grossly under-reported.

Thankfully, this is not a problem for anyone, but demographers.

Take for example: Julio César Turbay. He was the 25th president of Colombia, and was half-Lebanese. The product of assimilation and intermarriage.

This curiosity has to be noted.


February 3, 2018 – Edited: Grammatical error.
July 17, 2020 – Edited: Added image. Added and edited text.

Arab Dancing in Colombia

Arab Dancing in Colombia


Isis Dance Troupe at 10th Annual Arab Fesitval – Medellín
Published on YouTube, August 31, 2017

 

The school is called La Danza de Isis: The Dance of Isis – Academy of Oriental Dance.
Their website is: http://www.ladanzadeisis.com.

Again, we see that this is quite popular.

Yes, there are dance schools in the USA, but how many sell themselves specifically as Arab/Oriental Dance schools.

This is very mainstream in Latin America.

Screenshots of Wikipedia.

Wikipedia estimates about 800,000 – 3.2 Million Lebanese Colombians, out of approx. 50 Million people in Colombia. But the numbers are all over the place.

Elsewhere, in Wikipedia, the Arab diaspora in Columbia is listed at 1.5 Million.

Notice the contradiction. Lebanese Colombians could be as high as 3.2 Million, but another chart lists 1.5 Million Arab-Colombians.

How can one possibly have more Lebanese than Arabs, when the Lebanese are a subset of Arabs?

This is what makes checking the demographics of Arabs in the Western Hemisphere to so hard. As is so often stated, the problem is that many Lebanese refuse to call themselves Arabs.

The number of Arabs in South America is much higher than official figures cite.


April 14, 2020 – Edited: Had to get a new video, made corrections.

Venezuela and Hezbollah?

Venezuela and Hezbollah?


Posted on YouTube July 26, 2017

Under Hugo Chavez, Venezuela became allied with Iran. Chavez set up a television network, centered in Venezuela, called TeleSur, which was pro-Iranian, and anti-Zionist. But, as you see, the alliance may go deeper.

Arab-Venezuelans are roughly 6% of Venezuela – however almost all of Arab-Venezuelans are Christian. Though Muslims like to exaggerate, there are only 100,000 Muslims in Venezuela, out of a total population of 32 Million in Venezuela.

The figures for Muslims correspond to 6% of local Arabs, or 0.3% of the total population of the whole country. A very small number.

And remember, that Muslims tend to exaggerate their numbers!

Why Chavez, and his successor, Maduro, have taken Venezuela down this path is beyond belief.

One should not assume that South America is in danger. The real religious tidal wave in Latin Americas are the tens of millions converting to Evangelical Protestantism.

A few converts to Islam make the headlines, but are statistically insignificant. However, small though they are, they can make trouble.


28 November, 2017 – Edited – Had to edit some figures, which may have to be examined again, in light of conflicting sources.

Even More on the Radicalization of Chile’s Soccer

Even More on the Radicalization of Chile’s Soccer


Posted on YouTube on Mar 2, 2015

The name of the documentary (this is a teaser) is Cuatro Colores (Four Colors) based on the four colors of the Palestinian flag [red, green, black, white], and the four colors of the soccer team, Palestino, in Chile.

NOTE: The translation in the film says: Club Deportivo Palestino. “Deportivo” just means Sports. It should have been translated: Sports Club Palestino, or more accurately, Palestinian Sports Club.

The Palestinian community in Chile is:

1) Very Prosperous
2) Very Powerful
3) Politically connected
4) Radicalized against Israel

In the 1920s, Palestinian-Chileans founded their own soccer team. By the 1950s, it was a professional team in Chile. The Palestinian-Chilean community has used their successful professional soccer team for political ends.

In 2014, the Palestino Soccer team caused a major controversy when they issued a sports jersey – the Euros say kit – which had a map on the back of their jerseys that erased the state of Israel. Needless to say, worldwide, the Jewish people were furious. (Click Here)

The team was forced to withdraw the jersey.

But this is the nature of the Palestinian community in Chile; and the nature of the soccer/football team they support.

The fans call themselves “Baisanos,” based on the Spanish word for fellow countrymen: “Paisano.” The Palestinian immigrants to Chile would recognize other Palestinian immigrants, and call them, “Paisano,” a fellow countryman – from Palestine, as it were.

Except that Arabs cannot pronounce the letter P, and so “Paisano,” became “Baisano.”

Their descendants and fans of the Palestino soccer team picked up the mispronunciation as a term of endearment, and call themselves, “Baisanos.”

This would be curious enough, but they also recently picked up another term: Intifada, as this fan picture demonstrates.


Los Baisanos – Chilean Soccer’s Intifada
I have no idea if the upside down star (between Los and Baisanos) has any hidden meaning
It can mean evil – but I am not sure if that was their intent

So, the soccer team has become a symbol of radicalized anti-Zionism, not only in Chile, but around the world.

Though chiefly unknown here in the USA – we Americans do not follow soccer – the Palestino soccer/football team has become somewhat of a worldwide phenomenon. It is followed by the Palestinians in the contested areas in the Mideast as if it were a local team. Members of the Chilean team often visit the contested areas regularly.

Over time, the CD [Club Deportivo/Sports Club] Palestino jersey has become somewhat of a fashion statement for those of an anti-Israel mindset.

The funny thing is: In Chile, the Palestinians are relatively rich, compared to other Chileans. This radicalization has occurred among the elite of Chilean society, and that is what makes it an interesting phenomenom. Another odd thing is that 99% of Palestinian-Chileans are Christian, not Muslim, making this even more fascinating to observe, especially since the Palestinians in the Mideast have often embraced Islamic tendencies.

This team is starting to make waves. Its politicization is starting to make the news. The team, and the Palestinian community in Chile, are having disproportional effects on the opinions of many South Americans.

This is not a good development.

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