Sao Paulo Nominee for Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000708 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON EAID PREL SOCI SUBJECT: Sao Paulo Nominee for Presidential Entrepreneurship Summit REF: STATE 112468 ¶1. Sao Paulo Brazil nominates Andre Luz Lara Mello to participate in President Obama's summit for Young Muslim Entrepreneurs during the first quarter of 2010 per State 112468. ¶2. Sao Paulo hosts Brazil's and South America's largest concentration of Muslim communities. Most Brazilian Muslims are of Lebanese descent and are successfully integrated into Brazil, a country with a strong "melting pot" ethic. Andre Mello well represents this tradition of the moderate Muslim committed to both his faith and to the idea of respect between cultures. He is 32 years old and works as a journalist and media expert for the Muslim Federation, the leading Muslim umbrella organization in Brazil. The Federation is committed to a vision of moderate Islam and is known for involving youth in many charitable activities that benefit all Brazilians. As one example, the Federation runs a private Muslim school in a marginal area of Sao Paulo that serves a student body that is 60 percent non-Muslim. The Federation also recently organized a reception for SRMC Farah Pandith during her visit to Sao Paulo. ¶3. In his work with the Federation, Andre Mello promotes the organization's moderate vision of Islam through a variety of media, including newspapers, magazines and television programs. His goal is to counter the stereotype that Islam is inherently fanatical or incompatible with other faiths. Mello graduated with a degree in journalism from Anhembi Morumbi University. He has extensive media experience, having worked in the Globo TV network (producing a reality TV show entitled "Task Force" about police operations) as well as editing and performing camera work for the network. He also conceptualized and helped to produce a book, "The Mosques of Sao Paulo," which was designed to both present Islam to Brazilians and give them a summary of the Islamic faith. Mello lists his English skills as intermediate. Poloff has spoken with him and he could function quite well at a Washington-based conference. ¶4. Comment: Post's engagement with Sao Paulo's Muslim communities is a work in progress. In general, these Muslim communities are still fairly conservative, with many children entering family-owned businesses. That said, community leaders are very cognizant of the dangers of radicalism and organizations like the Muslim Federation are working hard to promote a moderate vision of Islam. Post believes that it could be important to represent South America's Muslims at the President's planned summit. The tolerance practiced here in Sao Paulo and the impressive range of general social works sponsored by the Muslim Federation (aimed mainly at benefiting poor Brazilians, most of whom are nominally Christian) could be an excellent example for other Muslim communities, particularly Muslim minority communities worldwide. For this reason, Post strongly endorses Mr. Mello's candidacy for participation in the planned Presidential event. ¶5. This nomination has been cleared by U.S. Embassy Brasilia. White