A lua crescente e a estrela na terra brasilis: retratos da educação árabe muçulmana no Paraná e em São Paulo

Abstract

This research presents a discussion on the study of schools founded by Arab Muslim immigrants in the cities of Curitiba, Foz do Iguaçu and São Paulo. The choice for this theme takes into account the contribution that will be made to regional history through the historical reconstruction of school institutions and the specificities surrounding the immigration process in Paraná and São Paulo. Scientific production in the field of history of education has instigated new investigations, mainly the expansion of studies that address the history of school institutions and that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the area (VILELLA, 2005). The objective of this thesis is to analyze how this community belongs within schools and how they influence the lives of these immigrants who place in them the hope of a symbolic return to their homeland. It is important to mention that the lack of studies on Muslim Arabs in Brazil also contributes to a certain invisibility of the group. In fact, most studies on this group have focused on the city of São Paulo. And this lack of studies refers not only to the immigration process, but also to the educational issue of this group. Based on this, how important are these schools in maintaining the tradition brought by Arab Muslim immigrants? Taking into account that culture has a political dimension, the school assumes a fundamental task of community formation and helping to preserve its historical roots, at the same time as it facilitates the community's insertion into the new social situation found. In ethnic schools, the preservation of the language as a code of communication and interaction has always been a concern for immigrants, as it bridges the gap between the past and the present, providing the idea of belonging. Considering that migrations are sociohistorically situated processes, the study of transnational displacements must encompass the particularities of each context, with a view to contributing to an expanded understanding of the reality experienced by the community in question. Along with Muslim religious centers, charitable entities have emerged that have served not only as a point of support and/or contact network for the community, but also as a center responsible for actions to integrate the community with its surroundings. These institutions were created with the purpose of transmitting and preserving Islamic culture, generating closeness and a bond with the community. An important concept, in terms of historiography and which will be used throughout this thesis, is that of School Culture. Several researchers work with this concept, such as Forquin (1993), Faria Filho (2007), Viñao Frago (2000), with variations in relation to their emphases. Within school institutions, it is feasible to verify this concept, as it is through practices and norms that values, behaviors and knowledge are transmitted and imposed. Therefore, this thesis intends to affirm that belonging is fundamental for the survival of this community and that schools mediate between the origin and the new reality for its adaptation. The theme is justified insofar as the dynamics of the immigration phenomenon interferes in the reality and social imagination of immigrants throughout their trajectory and in the imagination of Brazilians since the second half of the 19th century.