VZCZCXRO2512
OO RUEHRG
DE RUEHSO #0782 1991908
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 181908Z JUL 06
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5432
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 6509
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 3049
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 7286
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 2685
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 2360
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 2085
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 2922
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1810
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEAWJC/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHDC

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000782 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR DS/IP/WHA, DS/DSS/OSAC, WHA/BSC 
NSC FOR FEARS 
DEPT ALSO FOR WHA/PDA, DRL/PHD, DS/DSS/ITA 
BRASILIA FOR RSO AND LEGAT; RIO DE JANEIRO FOR RSO 
SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV SOCI ASEC PREL BR
SUBJECT: SAO PAULO LEBANESE AND MUSLIM REACTIONS TO EVENTS IN 
LEBANON 
 
REF: (A) SAO PAULO 360; (B) SAO PAULO 779 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY. 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  The Federation of Muslims Associations in Brazil 
sent a letter to the Consul General in Sao Paulo expressing "immense 
concern" regarding the recent military actions conducted by Israel 
in Lebanon, especially as it affects Brazilians currently in Lebanon 
for tourism and to visit family.  The letter calls on the United 
States to use "as much force as possible" to convince the Israeli 
Armed Forces to immediately cease its actions in Lebanon to avoid 
further injury to innocent civilians.  We have also learned that a 
rally is planned for Wednesday, July 19 at 5:00 p.m. in front of the 
state legislature, organized by a multi-denominational group of 
Lebanese-Brazilians to call on the Brazilian government to take more 
action to help Brazilian citizens who are unable to leave Lebanon on 
their own.  A rally is also scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on July 19 in 
the border city of Foz do Iguacu, "in solidarity with the Lebanese 
people."  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The Consul General in Sao Paulo received a letter dated 
July 17 signed by Mohamed Hussein El Zoghbi, Director of the 
Federation of Muslims Associations in Brazil.  The Federation, "in 
the name of the Brazilian Muslim and Arab communities" both in 
Brazil and in Lebanon, asks that the USG be made aware of the 
group's "immense concern" with the "violence, injustice and 
indiscriminate attacks" done by the "Government of Israel against 
the sovereign state of Lebanon."  The letter goes on to describe the 
recent actions in Lebanon as "indiscriminately victimizing" innocent 
civilians and children, and focuses on Brazilians that are currently 
in Lebanon for holiday and visiting family.  The letter calls the 
Israeli actions "totally unnecessary and abusive," and asks the 
Consul General to express the group's distress and complete 
disapproval of the "use of force, by any means, against innocent 
civilians."  The group then asks the United States, "in the name of 
World Peace," to express with "as much force as possible" the sense 
that the "unjust attacks by the Israeli Armed Forces" should cease 
immediately to avoid further injury to innocent civilians. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  We have also learned that members of the greater Lebanese 
community in Sao Paulo (ref A) are planning a rally in front of the 
state legislature to occur on Wednesday, July 19 at 5:00 p.m.  The 
goal of this rally seems to be to apply pressure on the Brazilian 
government to take more action to evacuate Brazilians currently in 
Lebanon. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  A prominent front-page advertisement appeared on July 18 
in the local paper Gazeta do Iguacu calling for a rally in 
"solidarity with the people of Lebanon" to be held at 4:00 on July 
19 at the Colegio Mitre Plaza, in Foz do Iguacu at the border of 
Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  COMMENT:  We continue to monitor events and reactions 
related to the current situation in Lebanon as per ref. B, and will 
report developments.  END COMMENT. 
 
MCMULLEN