The First Mission Of The Arab League To Brazil

(MENAFN- Brazil-Arab News Agency (ANBA)) By Qais Shqair *

The late Palestinian historian Akram Zuaiter published his book, A Mission in a Continent... The Journey of the Arab Delegation to Latin America for Palestine , in 1950. The delegation was formed by a decision of the Council of the League of Arab States as early as 1947 to put on the international forum the Arab perspective on the Palestinian cause, to gain support from the seventeen Latin American countries included in the delegation's mission, and to mobilize the solidarity of the Arab communities in those countries.

The delegation consisted of the author of the book, representing the Arab Higher Committee; the late Tawfiq al-Yaziji, advisor to the Syrian Legation in Brazil; and the late lawyer Nasri al-Maalouf, representing the Lebanese Government. They departed Cairo Airport on July 13, 1947, via Rome, Amsterdam, Lisbon, and Dakar (the capital of Senegal) to Natal Airport in Rio Grande do Sul, then traveled to Rio da Janeiro Airport (the then capital of Brazil), from which the delegation departed after completing its mission on September 25, 1947.

The delegation was well received at Rio de Janeiro Airport by Minister Plenipotentiary Mazhar al-Bakri, Consul General of Syria in Brazil; representatives of the Syrian community: Ali al-Hajj, Najib Sheikh Khaled, and Henry Yafeth; and journalists Raji Bassil and David Nasri. The delegation's activities included numerous meetings with the Arab communities in Rio, and São Paulo, as well as diplomatic and media figures there. The delegation also held the opening of the Syrian consulate in São Paulo, followed by a press interviews, issued statements, paid its good offices to successfully unify the Syrian and Lebanese communities, and opened the Catholic Church, visited the representatives of the industrial, media, and social communities, as well as attending some festivals supporting the Palestinian cause, as viewed in the visit diary as follows:

– July 25, 1947:

– Meeting with the clerical delegation headed by His Beatitude Patriarch Ignatius Harika, and including Patriarch Nivon Saba, Deacon Raphael Shamieh, and Deacon Gabriel Salibi.

– Meeting with the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Brazil, Wajih Rustom, and the Minister Plenipotentiary of the Lebanese Republic in Brazil, Youssef El-Sawda.

– July 27, 1947: Alberto El-Homsi published an interview with the head of the delegation in the newspaper“O Globo”, in which he reviewed the delegation's mission and the developments in the Palestinian cause.

– Distributing a memorandum to the Conference of the American University of Beirut held in Petropolis, and to the political and media figures in the state of Rio, explaining the Palestinian cause and the ongoing plots targeting Palestine.

– August 1, 1947: The delegation was received at São Paulo Airport by representatives of the Arab community, including:

Rashid Khoury (the village poet), poet Rashid Shqair, Saeed Anis Al-Khatib, Elias Farhat, and Tawfiq Al-Safadi.

– August 3, 1947: Visit to the Homs Club (the political platform of the Arab community), and a tour of the 5 Mart Arab Market (the commercial district of the Arab community), which witnessed a strike in protest to the French bombing of Damascus.

– A tour of Arab media institutions in São Paulo, which included:

– An interview in the newspaper“Brazil Lebanon” with its founder, the writer Rashid Attia.

– An interview in“Al-Karma” magazine with its founder, Salwa Atlas Salama.

– An interview in“Al-Sharq” magazine with its founder, Musa Karim.

– August 6, 1947: The delegation met with the“King of the Press in Brazil,” owner of thirty-five newspapers and several radio stations across Brazil, Assis Chateaubriand. During the meeting, the requirements of the Palestinian cause were explained. The delegation received his support, promising to publish everything that supports Palestinian rights, making his newspapers a platform for the Palestinian cause.

– August 7, 1947: The Palestine Festival was held at the Homs Club, attended by a thousand figures representing the Arab community, diplomatic missions, and the media. Speeches were delivered that stirred the emotions of those present, linking the independence of Palestine to the independence of Syria and Lebanon, and viewing the Jewish threat to Palestine as a threat to the independence of both countries.

– August 8, 1947: The Syrian Lebanese National Festival was held by the Andalusian League, headed by Shafiq Maalouf, and his wife, the writer Rose Maalouf. The festival aimed to promote Arabic literature abroad.

– August 9, 1947: The opening ceremony of the Syrian Consulate in São Paulo, where the following poets and writers recited poems and speeches praising Palestine and calling for its support:

Rashid al-Khoury (the village poet), Suleiman al-Safadi, Salwa Atlas Salama, Rashid Shuqair, and Nasr Semaan.

– Meeting with the Palestinian community and its representatives: Rashid Agha, Tawfiq Salim, Youssef Ahmed, Hassan Muhammad, Taha Mansour, and Suleiman Hafez.

– August 10, 1947: Visit to the Lebanon Club and meeting with its president, Fouad Lutf Allah, and Rafael Yafeth.

– August 12, 1947: Attendance at the Syrian Legation Festival in Rio and meetings with political and media figures.

– August 14, 1947: Attending a reception hosted by the“King of the Press in Brazil,” Assis Chateaubriand, in honor of the delegation.

– August 15, 1947: Attending the League of American States conference and meeting with Elio Aroujou, the leader of the anti-Zionist Intraglist party and professor of history at the University of Rio de Janeiro, son of Syrian immigrant Wahba al-Akkari.

– August 21, 1947: The delegation's efforts to unite the Syrian and Lebanese communities succeeded by forming a committee to draft a joint charter.

– August 24, 1947: Attending the Palestine Festival held by the Mount Lebanon Club.

– August 26, 1947: Attending the Arab Community Festival in Support of Palestine (the Great Festival).

– August 28, 1947: The Palestine Defense Committee was established, comprising:

Rizkallah Haddad, Naim Andraos, Victor Majdalani, Najib Sheikh Khaled, Fouad Safadi, Tawfiq Kanaan, Yassin Mustafa, Munir Hillel, and Muhammad Ali Salibi.

– September 3, 1947: The delegation's efforts succeeded in thwarting a Zionist delegation's mission to obtain a resolution from the League of American States Conference supporting the Jewish right in Palestine.

– September 5, 1947: A press conference was held at the Syrian Consulate in Rio to comment on the findings of the International Commission of Inquiry on Palestine.

– Pioneers in industry from the Arab community:

At the conclusion of the delegation's mission, it visited the Maalouf silk and textile factories and the Japheth textile factories.

The delegation learned that the Italians pioneered Brazilian industry, followed by the Arabs.

– Pioneers in Charitable Work:

– The delegation visited the“Syrian Sanatorium,” a charitable organization run by a group of Arab women, headed by Mrs. Nabiha Abdullah Shahfi, Helena Takla Yazigi, Rosetta Farkouh, and Salwa Atlas Salama.

– The delegation visited the Syrian Orphanage, the Al-Awanes society, and the White Hand Association of the Orthodox Church.

– The delegation visited the Islamic Charitable Society, headed by Mr. Al-Huda Al-Jundi, with Mr. Tawfiq Sultani as its honorary president. The society established a mosque in São Paulo.

– The delegation concluded its mission in Brazil by issuing several statements distributed to the community, diplomatic corps, and the media.

This is a summary of the Arab League delegation's mission to Brazil, in support of the Palestinian cause, and to affirm the historical ties with the friendly Federative Republic of Brazil.

A subsequent article will briefly trace the delegation's mission to the remaining Latin American countries covered by the Arab delegation's mission.

Ambassador Qais Shqair is the head of the Mission of the League of Arab States in Brazil The opinions expressed in the articles are the responsibility of the authors. Supplied

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