Celebrating Lebanese Independence in Downtown Montevideo, Uruguay
The Lebanese are about 2% of the Uruguay’s population, but they have already produced a Vice-President, Alberto Abdala.
Almost all are from Maronite Catholic stock.
Again, as noted, depending on the country, Maronite Catholics are often 45-65% of the Arab ethnic community in Latin American countries. (Chile and Honduras are noteable exceptions)
In Uruguay, Maronites are almost all the Arabs.
Where the Maronites predominate, they are a moderating influence.
When they came to Latin America, because the Maronites are a branch of Roman Catholicism, they fit in well with Catholic Latin America.
When they came to Latin America, some Maronites spoke French, which is a Latin language similar to Spanish and Portuguese making the transition easier.
Historically, Lebanese Maronites have intermarried with the Crusaders, Romans, etc. making them partly European in genetics. They tend to be fairer, and have slightly higher rates of fair eyes than most other Arabs. Outwardly, they could pass for European.
They considered themselves an outpost of Western Civilization in the Mideast. They felt closer to the French than neighboring Arab Muslims.
Maronite Catholics often considered themselves Phoenician not Arab, even though they speak Arabic.
This has caused friction with the Lebanese Muslims who do consider themselves Arabic.
So the Maronite Catholics blended in well with South Americans, and all the other Arabs had to play catch up with them.
They are very moderate concerning Mideast politics. Where they predominate, there will not be much anti-Israel polemics.
In Chile, where Palestinian-Christian predominate among the Arab community, Arab ethnic politics can get ugly.
The Saudis financed this massive mosque in downtown Buenos Aires that almost no one wanted. Argentina is only about 1% Muslim; and most of those are non-practicing.
Why was this weekly program, El Cálamo y su mensaje, broadcast from the above Saudi-financed mosque, put on Argentine Public TV – a government network – when even the Arab-Argentines (who are overwhelmingly Christian) did not want it? Corruption is suspected.
The overwhelmingly Christian Arab-Argentines were furious that a popular secular Arab show was cancelled to make way for this Saudi-financed Islamic propaganda in the above video.
Note: I translated this.
Latin America, especially the Southern Countries (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay), as well as Brazil, are in many ways mirror images of the United States.
1a) The United States had heavy European immigration. 1b) Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil (especially South Brazil) had massive European immigration.
2a) America’s immigration was primarily North European, until 1965, though it had some noticeable South European immigration, especially Italians. 2b) South America’s immigration was primarily South European, until recently, though it had some noticeable North European immigration, especially Germans.
3a) America is largely Protestant with a considerable Catholic minority. 3b) South America is largely Catholic with a growing Evangelical minority.
4a) In America, Jews came during in the late 19th century fleeing persecution, and worked their way up to elites. 4b) In South America, Arab Christianss came in during the late 19th century fleeing persecution at the hands of Muslims, and worked their way up to elites.
As South America becomes richer, these Arab-Latins are feeling their oats and starting to assert themselves.
This would be great, except that at the same time, Saudi and Iranian money has come into the continent to propagandize them, and turn them against Israel. Almost every country in South America voted to open embassies with Palestine; and almost all of them voted to recognize Palestine in the United Nations.
These Arabs are elites. The Palestinians in Chile are 3% of the population, but 10% of the Senate. Compare that with American Jews which are 2% of the population and about 13% of the Senate. What we see is that both communities mirror each other in success and clout.
The State Department was hostile to the partition of Israel, but Zionist pressure, and Harry Truman’s religious feelings persuaded him to have America vote to allow Israel in 1947.
Chile’s President was pro-Zionist regarding the partition of Israel, but Palestinian-Chilean pressure persuaded him to have Chile abstain from the partition vote in 1947.
Both communities exercise influence out of proportion to their numbers.
What is troubling is that the vast majority of these Latin-Arabs are descended from ancestors who fled Muslim tyranny. The Shia/Druza and Sunni/Turks started genocidally massacring Christians in the middle of the 19th century until French intervention stopped it. The Lebanese and Syrian Arabs in South America are over 95% Christian, and are descended from these refugees.
The Palestinians in Chile are descended from Palestinians who fled Turkish rule. No Christian wanted to be drafted into a Muslim Army. Over half of them came before Israel was even born. Sixty percent can trace themselves back to an ancestor who arrived before 1930.
So why have these people suddenly found common cause with a quasi-Islamic Palestinian cause? Have they forgotten why their ancestors fled the Mideast in the first place?
The Evangelicals are the only ones fighting this. They should not have to fight this alone.
A large part of this is Israel’s fault. Israel is great at telling people why Israel is good for the Jews. Okay! But Israel does not adequately tell people why Israel is good for Gentiles, even Arab Christians. Israel is not doing enough to get its message out to South American Arabs, who are Latin America’s elites.
Holocaust guilt will not work with Latin Americans. They were not party to the Holocaust. Israel has to explain to Latin American Gentiles why their interests are better served by Israel than by the Arabs in the Mideast.
Argentina and Chile are typical of the problem. Someone has to talk to Israel and the United States to do something. Right now, there is only one group fighting back.
There is a growing Evangelical Movement in South America, which is usually very pro-Israel. Brazil and Chile have enormous and growing Evangelical populations. These should be encouraged. Why is our media ignoring this?
