Arab Countries and the Rio Grande do Sul

Salam aleicun!

Yesterday and today, I participated in a seminar in Canoas, where I hear leaders of the international Islamic community. I was impressed with their culture and knowledge. This morning, staying in an upholstered chair, stowed in a large room in the Canoas Park Hotel, next to other people in our community and citizens of Arab Muslim visitors had one of the best lessons of citizenship and education for my spiritual life.

Not a thought as high culture. A lecture given by the President of the Islamic Bank Makaseb, Mr Ahmed El Helw, overcame all the lessons learned from the readings of the books of Arab literature that my father gave me in my adolescence. Among those books that most marked in my memory was "The Man that calculates" of Malba Tahan, codename of Júlio César de Mello e Souza.

Ahmed El Helw the UAE has presented aspects of the economic culture of Islam. God is first. The economic system of Islam observes three basic guidelines in its business that in three short words: faith, development and investment. The leader emphasized that his bank does not endorse anything that does harm to individuals, such as production of alcoholic beverages and tobacco industry. Summarized saying: "- The more we help, the more God helps us too."

In the Islamic system is not charging interest. Yes, that's right, its banks do not charge interest those seeking financing for their projects. The bank analyzes, carefully, noting the project and its viability, borrow the money, without interest. A shock to us all that we are accustomed to high interest rates in Brazil, even today our National Monetary Council has been more complacent about our economy and continue the trend of lowering interest rates in the country at around 9% per year, currently.

And even then, the Brazilian private banks still operating with an average interest rate of 5% per month and the credit card companies still in the range of 10 to 15% per month. Anything with zero interest for Islamic banks.

The leader of Makaseb explained that the Islamic culture values the development of this without charging interest. Muslims believe that a financial institution must not be selfish and exploit those who want the bank to finance projects responsible. Maintain a monetary policy where the profit should not be the main requirement of a business, but the welfare and development that will generate business for the person, the bank and society. Financial speculation is not permitted and ethics is present in the negotiations. Also spoke in ZAKAT: tax the charity. All pay 2.5% on their business. The tax is designed in full, the social works.

Ahmed made clear the requirements that the Arab countries meet to make new investments in Brazil. Reported that the Gulf press today, investment in energy and agriculture. Established a roadmap for countries interested in receiving their investment if qualify.

Translate the steps being taken by the parties as follows: there must be a pilot project, describing the venture, the second step is that the state offers tax incentives and even the ground for installation of the business in clear and legally secure. The Arabs do not like contracts or contracts between the traps. Translation mine. They want insurance contracts entered into a legal system and legal to ensure compliance with the agreements. Alias, I think nobody likes to be wrong. One last step is the government publicly declare the land as an area of business investment and provide certificates guaranteeing investments. The set of integrated actions will form a center of mass of investment in Arab countries. Rapporteur: major Aroldo Medina.