ity ▁and ▁mother ▁of ▁Salvador an ▁national ity . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁some ▁of ▁them ▁speak ▁Arab ic ▁flu ently . ▁But ▁most , ▁especially ▁among ▁younger ▁gener ations , ▁speak ▁Spanish ▁as ▁a ▁first ▁language ▁and ▁Arab ic ▁as ▁a ▁second . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁war ▁between ▁Israel ▁and ▁Leb anon ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 ▁and ▁during ▁the ▁Six ▁Day ▁War , ▁thousands ▁of ▁Leb an ese ▁left ▁their ▁country ▁and ▁went ▁to ▁El ▁Salvador . ▁First ▁they ▁arrived ▁at ▁La ▁Libert ad , ▁were ▁they ▁compr ised ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁economic ▁activity ▁of ▁imm igr ants . ▁ ▁Leb anon ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁i q ta ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire . ▁Although ▁the ▁imperial ▁administration , ▁whose ▁official ▁religion ▁was ▁Islam , ▁guaranteed ▁freedom ▁of ▁worship ▁for ▁non - Mus lim ▁communities , ▁and ▁Leb anon ▁in ▁particular ▁had ▁a ▁semi - aut onom ous ▁status , ▁the ▁situation ▁for ▁pract ition ers ▁of ▁the ▁Mar on ite ▁Catholic ▁Church ▁was ▁complicated , ▁since ▁they ▁had ▁to ▁cancel ▁ex agger ated ▁tax es ▁and ▁suffered ▁limitations ▁for ▁their ▁culture . ▁These ▁t ensions ▁were ▁expressed ▁in ▁a ▁re bell ion ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁and ▁a ▁war ▁against ▁the ▁Dru ze ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 . ▁The ▁host ile ▁climate ▁caused ▁many ▁Leb an ese ▁to ▁sell ▁their ▁property ▁and ▁take ▁ships ▁in ▁the ▁ports ▁of ▁Sid on , ▁Be ir ut ▁and ▁Tri pol i ▁heading ▁for ▁the ▁Amer icas . ▁