In the thick green rainforest at the triple frontier of Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, a Muslim Arab community stands accused -- yet again -- of complicity in international terrorism. So far, investigations have turned up empty, but the community is learning to live with a target on its back. Reporter Kris Kitto and filmmaker Gabrielle Weiss traveled to the area to talk to local leaders and residents about how they maintain normalcy in the face of ongoing accusations.
“Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil — The chant-like call for Friday’s mid-day prayer rings from the loudspeaker, breaking through the humid jungle air. Worshipers file into the shiny, white mosque, chatting in Arabic, Portuguese and Spanish as they take their spots on the soft, blue carpet.
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While most of the Arab population in the tri-border region live in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, the majority of them cross the Friendship bridge to Paraguay everyday to go to work.
As seen on Foreign Exchange with Fareed Zakaria.
Teams to Target Financial
Crimes. By Jerry Seper for the Washington Times, March
24, 2006.
Link
The Wide War: How Donald
Rumsfeld Discovered the Wild West in Latin America. By
Greg Grandin for the Nation.
Link
Secret Proposals: Fighting
Terror by Attacking ... South America? By Mark Hosenball
and Michael Isikoff for Newsweek.
Link
War Keeps on Bringing Arabs
to Brazil. By Isaura Daniel for Brazzil Magazine. January
8th, 2006.
Link
In the Party of God.
Hezbollah sets up operations in South America and the United States.
By Jeffrey Goldberg for the New Yorker, 10/28/2002.
Link
Terrorist and Organized
Crime Groups in the Tri-Border Area (TBA) of South America.
A Report Prepared by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress.
July 2003.
Link
Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
1779 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington DC 20036-2109
Pulitzer Center is a division of World Security Institute
