The Kanawaty Lebanese and Brazilian connection

This post explores another of my wife’s exotic roots. Antonia’s maternal grandmother, Asma Kanawaty was born in Beirut on 12^th March 1903. She was one of 8 children born to Antoun Kanawaty and Anissa Habib Zreik. Asma’s eldest sister was named Lily and there were 3 other sisters: Marie, who was born on 1^st January 1898; Afifa, and Zobeida, who was born in 1909. Asma also had 3 brothers: Fouad, the eldest, who was born on 6^th November 1906, Amin and Rafful. The family were part of a large Christian population that lived (and still lives) in Lebanon. Sadly, both Amin and Afifa did not survive childhood. Amin, died at a young age due to some illness, and Afifa from a nasty accident that left her with severe burns.

Family tree showing the children of Antoun Kanawaty and Anissa Zreik

Both Asma and Marie grew up and became teachers. They obtained work in Baghdad and worked at the Menahem Daniel Jewish primary school. Later in life, Marie went on to become the school principal.

Photo of Asma Curmi (nee Kanawaty) probably taken in the 1930s

In around 1928, Asma married Emile Curmi, a former British officer who had worked in the political department of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force. The couple’s first child, Giovanna, was born on 27^th December 1930. Less than 2 years later on 16^th October 1932, she was joined by another sister named Eileen. Gio’s and Eileen’s births was registered at the British Consulate on 21^st February 1936. At that time, the family were living at 69 Abu Nawass Street in the Battaween district of Baghdad. The family expanded further in the years that followed with the arrivals of Mafalda (February 16^th 1939), Joseph Donald (January 16^th 1943) and Richard Alexander (24^th September 1945). The family moved to a larger house on nearby Alamein Street in the Battaween district of Baghdad and they had servants to help with the cooking and cleaning.

Photo of Asma Curmi (nee Kanawaty) and Donald Curmi. Don's age suggests the photo was taken in the late 1940s

To escape the searing summer heat in Baghdad, the family would occasionally travel across the desert to visit family back in Lebanon. Marie’s passport, issued in 1931, contains visas indicating many trips back and forth between Baghdad and Beirut.  The document contains a note from the passport office dated 28^th July 1938 stating that there is “no objection to Giovanna and Elen (sic) to enter Iraq accompanied by the holder of this passport”

Photo of Asma Curmi (nee Kanawaty) with her sister Marie

The revolution of 14^th July 1958 came as a huge shock to the family and it was no longer safe to remain in Baghdad. Emile sent Asma, Eileen, Mafalda, Donald and Alex to England in the autumn of that year where they were reunited with Giovanna, who had left suddenly a few years before in 1955. They settled in Barnet in North London and lived at 34 Hadley Road. Asma’s sister and husband remained in Baghdad until 1962. By the time they arrived in England, Emile was gravely ill with cancer and died on 30^th January 1963. Following his death, the family remained in Barnet. Marie passed away 5 years later in 1968.

Fouad Kanawaty emigrated from Lebanon on the Neptunia and arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 16^th August 1939. He later obtained a job at Fabrica Colchoes Sao Paolo, a mattress factory in Sao Paolo. He married but the couple had no children. Fouad passed away on 16^th August 1978 aged 71.

Fouad Kanawaty Brazillian immigration card

Rafful followed his older brother to Brazil in the 1950s. He married a woman by the name of Alice and they had three children together: Eduardo, Antonio and Jorge. Eduardo became an endocrinologist and married a woman named Elizabeth. They had a daughter together but we don’t know her name. Antonio married a woman named Nazaré and they had 3 daughters; Monika, Simone and Larissa. Jorge married Ligia and they had 3 children; Roberta, Joao and Rafael. Rafful’s descendants all live in or around the city of Campinas which is situated 70km north west of Sao Paulo.

Rafful Kanawaty Brazillian immigration card

Lily married Rizkallah Haddad and they had a son called Eduardo, who also became a doctor. They apparently travelled to London when Asma and her family were still living in Barnet. He came over with his terminally ill wife and daughter Marisa.  

Photo of Zobeida Rouhana (nee Kanawaty) with daughter Rosette and husband Farid in the background taken in Beirut

Zobeida was a gifted painter but was regarded as a black sheep. She married a disapproved of Palestinian named Farid Rouhana and had a daughter named Rosette in around 1940. The family emigrated to Brazil, arriving in Rio on 3^rd July 1951. Farid apparently walked out on the marriage sometime afterwards.

Zobeida Rouhana (nee Kanawaty) Brazillian immigration card.

Brazil was a popular destination for Lebanese people of all creeds looking for a better life. It is claimed that there are now over 7 million people with Lebanese ancestors living in the country. Many of whom, like the Kanawaty’s, have become highly successful people. The origins of the family are less clear. One uncorroborated source states that the Kanawaty family was a branch of one of the original 6 Canaanite families who lived in Bethlehem. If this is true, they are very old indeed