Jose A. Benzaquen Perea
One of the communities that went to Peru in search of a new opportunities abroad of their native land; was undoubtedly the people from the Arab world, who with their valuable contribution in many cultural, economic and social aspects made the country a suitable place to live.
Since the arrival of the first Europeans to the lands of South America and specifically to Peru, the Arab migrant came with a profound civilization of more than 700 years in the Iberian Peninsula which is referred to as the territory of Al-Andalus.
Lima, the capital of Peru, where the first Spanish Viceroyalty was established with an Arab influence demonstrated unswervingly in the architecture of our city. A symbolic sample was the constructions of the balconies of the colonial era, beautifully represented -to this day- in the Torre Tagle Palace, headquarters of our current Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and, built at the beginning of the 18th century until 1735.
Historian Leyla Bartet, in her book “Memories of Cedar and Olive”, in Chapter III, “The Arabs in Peru” mentions that “it is estimated that from 1860 to 1890 an approximate number of 600 thousand Arabs left the Middle East as America as a destination, a flow that intensified from 1900 to 1914”.
It is in June of 1919, when Peru begins a process of welcoming migrants from this part of the world, who traveled with an Ottoman passport, and later arrived with a French passport from Lebanon or with an English or Jordanian travel document in the case of the Palestinians.
These first immigrants who came across South America (Argentina, Uruguay and Bolivia), settled in the regions of Huancavelica and Arequipa (the Peruvian Andes). It is claimed that in Arequipa from 1880 to 1920, of the 20 commercial companies, five were originally Palestinians.
Denys Cuche, professor at the Sorbonne University (1997), a researcher specialized in immigration, tells us about Syrian-Palestinian immigrations to the Peruvian Amazon, in the eastern region of Peru, in 1880, whose trade was commerce.
Undoubtedly, the presence of the Arabs in Peru was very positive in the past and in the present as we have successfully opened several resident Embassies in the region including, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and the Gulf countries: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the Consulate General of Dubai.
In 1979, the Palestinian Club was established in Lima, where a large number of Arab descendants gather, those who have integrated into the Peruvian society, giving it their knowledge and their different cultural touch.
In addition, the first inaugurated Mosque, named Masjid Bab-Ul-Islam located in an important District of Magdalena, Lima, was the very first Islamic center of the reunion of the Muslims residing in Lima including many Peruvians who converted to Islam. Arequipa was also one of the cities that was introduced to the Islamic faith by building another place of worship and another Palestinian Club.
Peruvian women was also introduced to the oriental fashion aspect shown through the ‘La tapada Limeña’, the name used at the time of the viceroyalty of Peru and the early years of the Republic to designate the Limeña women “The women of Lima” who covered their heads and faces with comfortable silk shawls, exposing only one eye. This style resembles the attire of Islamic women.
Music, one of the key elements that had evolved from the ancient Arabic civilization through the Moorish rule; allowing the spread of the Arab tuning methods into the western world. Thanks to this transmission of art, many instruments were introduced to the rest of the world such as the Oud, the Nay, the violin as well as the guitar, an instrument that is heavily used in my country Peru.
On the other hand, the Arab presence is also shown in the hydraulic system, agricultural instruments, and at the same time in new crops, such as sugar cane, cotton, rice, citrus, bananas, some vegetables, cinnamon, cumin, pepper, palm trees and the date palm including, our gastronomy which has also been fused with the Arabic culinary cuisine.
The Arab civilization left a legacy of discoveries and achievements that we are still learning from.
Finally, I have to write that I will continue along with my research for the discovery of a Qatari presence within the journey of the Arabic influence in Peru.
Jose A. Benzaquen Perea is the Ambassador of Peru to Qatar
