▁of ▁the ▁repr ess ive ▁policies ▁applied ▁by ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁against ▁Mar on ite ▁C athol ics . ▁Several ▁of ▁the ▁destin ations ▁that ▁the ▁Leb an ese ▁chose ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁were ▁in ▁countries ▁of ▁the ▁Amer icas , ▁including ▁El ▁Salvador . ▁This ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁Arab ▁di as por a ▁residents ▁being ▁character ized ▁by ▁for ging ▁in ▁dev out ly ▁Christian ▁families ▁and ▁very ▁attached ▁to ▁their ▁belief s , ▁because ▁in ▁these ▁countries ▁they ▁can ▁exercise ▁their ▁faith ▁without ▁fear ▁of ▁per sec ution , ▁which ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁Leb an ese - Sal v ador an , ▁Sy rian - Sal v ador an ▁and ▁Palest in ian - Sal v ador an ▁communities ▁in ▁El ▁Salvador . ▁ ▁Currently ▁the ▁strong est ▁community ▁is ▁the ▁Palest in ian ▁( 7 0 , 0 0 0 ▁descend ants ), ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁Leb an ese ▁settled ▁in ▁San ▁Salvador ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 2 7 , 0 0 0 ▁direct ▁descend ants , ▁mostly ▁( 9 5 %) ▁Catholic ▁and ▁Orth odox ▁Christians . ▁The ▁sla ugh ter ▁of ▁Leb an ese ▁and ▁Palest in ian ▁Arab ▁Christians ▁at ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁Muslim s , ▁initi ated ▁the ▁first ▁Leb an ese ▁migration ▁to ▁El ▁Salvador . ▁ ▁Inter - eth nic ▁marriage ▁in ▁the ▁Leb an ese ▁community ▁with ▁Salvador ans , ▁regardless ▁of ▁religious ▁affili ation , ▁is ▁very ▁high ; ▁most ▁have ▁only ▁one ▁father ▁with ▁Leb an ese ▁national