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Druze

  (drūz) pronunciation
also Druse n.

A member of a Syrian people following a religion marked by monotheism and a belief in al-Hakim (985–1021), an Ismaili caliph, as the embodiment of God.

[Arabic Durūz, pl. of durzī, a Druse, after Ismail al-Darazi (died c. 1019), Muslim religious leader.]


 
 

Relatively small Middle Eastern religious sect. It originated in Egypt in 1017 and is named for one of its founders, Muhammad al-Darazi (d. 1019/20). Strictly monotheistic and based in Islam, particularly Isma'ili Islam, Druze beliefs include an eclectic mixture of elements from Gnosticism, Neoplatonism, Judaism, and Iranian religion. The Druze believe in the divinity of al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah (985 – 1021?), sixth caliph of the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt, and expect him to return someday to inaugurate a golden age. The Druze are divided hierachically into two orders — the sages, who are fully initiated in the beliefs of the religion, and the ignorant, who constitute the uninitiated lay majority. They permit no converts, either to or from their religion, and no intermarriage. Their religious system is kept secret from the outside world, and they are permitted to deny their faith if their life is in danger. In the early 21st century they numbered about one million, mostly in Syria and Lebanon.

For more information on Druze, visit Britannica.com.

 
or Druse (drūz) , religious community of Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan, with important overseas branches in the Americas and Australia. The religious leadership prefers the name Muwahhidun (Unitarians). While preserving many Islamic symbols, the Druze religion also incorporates Gnostic and neo-Platonic tenets. In the 10th cent. Cairo Hamza ibn Ali, a Persian dai (preacher, propagandist) and Muhammad al-Darazi, a Turkish dai who gave his name to the sect, pronounced the sixth Fatimid caliph and Ismaili imam, al-Hakim, as Divine. After al-Darazi's death (1020), Hamza declared himself to be the true manifestation of the Divine reality of al-Hakim. Hamza was successful in greater Syria, and a series of pastoral letters written at that time form the Druze scripture, the Kitab al-hikma, or Rasail al-Hakim. Since the Druze religion was seen as an abrogation of Islam, the concealment of the substance of the faith is a religious obligation, marriages outside the faith are forbidden, and initiation from lay status (jahil, ignorant) to clerical (aqil, knower) is restricted. The Druze formed principalities that fought the Crusaders and secured considerable independence under nominal Mamluk and Ottoman rule. In the 19th cent. the rise of the Christian Maronites undermined Druze power in the Mount Lebanon region. The ensuing conflict scarred relations between the two communities and provided an opportunity for European intervention. After the dissolution of the Ottoman sultanate and the establishment of the French mandate in Syria (1920), the Druze leadership played a crucial role in launching and sustaining the anti-French revolt (1925–27), after which an autonomous Druze state was created by the French in southern Syria. In 1944 the Druze agreed to surrender their autonomous rights in the Jebel Druz [jebel=mountain], as their section of Syria is called. Since then the Druze have been active in the political life of Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Druze officers were noticeable in the history of Syria in the 1950s and 1960s. Walid Jumblatt and other Druze leaders took active roles during the Lebanese civil war. In Israel, the Druze were granted a “nationality” status distinct from the Arabic-speaking population, and are expected to serve in the Israeli army.

Bibliography

See R. B. Betts, The Druze (1988).


 

A small religious community that emerged in eleventh-century Cairo and spread to what is today Lebanon, Syria, and Israel.

The name Druze (in Arabic Duruz, meaning Druzes) was given to the community by outsiders based on the name of al-Darazi, an early convert who came to Cairo in the year 1015, joined the missionary ranks, and was eventually killed or executed in 1019. The Druze manuscripts consider him an apostate and refer to members of the community as Unitarians (Muwwahhidun) or People of Unitarianism (Ahl al-Tawhid). The Druzes are also known as Sons of Mercy or Sons of Beneficence (Banu Maʿruf). In addition, the word Maʿruf is derived from the Arabic words arafa (to know); thus, Druzes are often mentioned in their manuscripts as Aʿraf (those who possess knowledge).

Druze Communities

There are approximately one million Druzes in the world today with 85 to 90 percent of them living in the Middle East. Smaller communities can be found in Australia, Canada, Europe, the Philippines, South America, West Africa, and the United States. Within Druze villages and small towns in the Middle East, the predominant occupation has always been farming, and two classes of landowners and peasants have dominated the Druze economic landscape for centuries. Although most Druzes remain predominantly rural, rapid urbanization and modernization have not only transformed Druze village economics but also facilitated increases in educational levels and professional training.

Despite these recent transformations, social and religious authority among the Druzes remains persistent and comes from a religious elite that has an extraordinary influence on Druze communities. Thus, it may be said that Druzism both unites Druzes into socially cohesive communities and divides them into two main classes: the initiated or wise (uqqal) and the uninitiated or, literally, "ignorant" (juhhal). Only those believers who demonstrate piety and devotion and who have withstood the lengthy process of candidacy are initiated into the esoteric teachings and oral traditions of the faith. Women initiates undergo a less rigorous training because the Druze doctrine considers women to be more spiritually prepared and therefore not in need of the arduous initiation process that men are required to undertake.

The initiated persons are further subdivided based on their spiritual level of advancement. Only a small group of the most devout of the initiated members are called ajawid, meaning the selected, or, literally, "the good." In the eyes of the rest of the community, the ajawid serve as models for righteous behavior, truthfulness, and wisdom; they reinforce the cultural attributes of the entire community. Uninitiated persons comprise the majority of Druze society. They may seek initiation at any age, but their acceptance is based on their character, which is assessed by the initiated ones. Although the uninitiated are indeed "ignorant" of the Druze doctrine, their behavior is expected to conform to certain prescriptions both spiritual (e.g., fealty to God, His prophets, and His luminaries) and moral (e.g., respect for elders, honor for women, and care for children).

Emergence of Druzism (996 - 1043)

Druzism is traced to Fatimid-Ismaʿili-Shiʿite Egypt, and more specifically to the sixth Fatimid caliph alHakim bi-Amr Allah (r. 996 - 1021). Druze history may be divided into three main phases: the emergence of Druzism (996 - 1043), the era of emirates (1040s - 1840s), and recent times (since the 1840s). Although almost all sources date the beginning of Druzism to 1017, the year 996 was not only the beginning of al-Hakim's rule but also, and more importantly, there is evidence of covert preparatory activity between 996 and 1017. The nearly fifty-year period of the emergence of Druzism revolves around three main leaders, al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, Hamza ibn Ali al-Zawzani, and Baha al-Din al-Samuqi. In the eyes of many historians, al-Hakim was the most controversial among Fatimi caliphs due to a claim for divinity, which apparently he never made but others attributed to him, and because of his early rigid or unacceptable resolutions against the social and religious practices of Sunnis, Christians, and Jews. Although al-Hakim's attitude toward the Druze faith is not fully discernible from the available sources, it can be concluded that al-Hakim did not prevent Druze missionaries from propagating their doctrine; on the contrary, he appears to have allowed their proselytizing activities, approved their writings, and protected their followers.

Hamza ibn Ali is the central authority behind Druze teachings and as such is considered by some writers to be the actual founder of Druzism. He came to Cairo in December 1016, met the Druze missionaries in the Ridan Mosque, and then proclaimed the new movement in 1017. Four years later, in 1021, al-Hakim left on one of his routine trips to the hills of al-Muqattam east of Cairo but never returned. In the same year, Hamza and his close associates went into retreat, announcing that a period of persecution by al-Hakim's successor, the seventh Fatimid caliph al-Zahir, had begun, and that the affairs of the community were delegated to Baha al-Din. After the hardship years of 1021 to 1026, Baha al-Din resumed missionary activity and wrote epistles until the closing of Druzism in 1043, when he departed to an undisclosed location. Since then, no one has been permitted to join the Druze movement.

Era of Emirates (1040s - 1840s)

The second phase of Druze history is represented in three emirates - the Buhturis, Maʿnis, and Shihabis - that played important roles in providing leadership to the Druze masses. The Buhturis (1040s - 1507) are a branch of the Tanukhis, who had origins in Arabia but migrated to northern Syria and then settled in Mount Lebanon beginning in the middle of the eighth century. In the first half of the eleventh century some of the Tanukhi princes joined the Druze faith. The relationship of the Buhturi amirs with the Islamic central governments was at times affected by the Islamic power struggles. For example, the Mamluks and Ayyubids fought not only each other, but also the Mongols. Nevertheless, the Buhturis remained in power until the takeover of the Arab lands in 1516 by the Ottoman Sultan Selim I (r. 1512 - 1520), who is said to have been encouraged by the Druze Maʿni Prince Fakhr al-Din I.

With the help of the Buhturis, the forefather of the Maʿnis, Prince Maʿn, moved with his supporters to the Shuf in 1120. This Maʿni clan remained relatively insignificant until the emergence of their prince Fakhr al-Din I (r. 1507 - 1544). Although he was asked to support the Mamluks, Fakhr al-Din instead joined the Ottoman forces of Sultan Selim, whose army defeated the Mamluks in 1516 in the decisive battle of Marj Dabiq. Subsequently, the Ottomans allowed the Maʿnis to have independent political control within the region, as long as taxes reached Istanbul promptly. With the continued support of the Ottomans, another Druze prince, Fakhr al-Din II (r. 1585/1590 - 1635), extended the Maʿni principality north to the Syrian city of Palmyra and south to the Sinai Peninsula. Although he initially re-established good relations with the Ottoman Empire, he also signed treaties with the Grand Duke of Tuscany (1606 - 1608). As a result, the Ottomans became gradually suspicious of Fakhr al-Din II's overt ambition; they mobilized against him and defeated his army at Hasbayya in 1635. He was then executed with his two sons in Istanbul, but the Maʿni amirs were allowed to rule until 1697, when the emi-rate was transferred to the Shihabi house.

With the transfer of power from the Maʿnis to the Shihabis, the Druzes as a whole continued to enjoy a relatively high degree of autonomy. But within a decade, Druzes became divided and eventually turned against each other. At the battle of Ain Dara in 1711 two Druze factions fought - the Qaysis of northern Arabian origin and the Yamanis of southern origin. The decisive victory of the Qaysis caused many of the Yamanis to flee to the Hawran region, reducing Druze influence in Mount Lebanon. The Shihabi principality slowly fell under the political and military control of external rulers. Sectarianism began to take root and religious consciousness was on the rise. Moreover, in the late eighteenth century the Shihabis converted to Christianity, which further reduced the Druze influence in Mount Lebanon.

Modern History (1840s to the Present)

The reign of the last of the Shihabi amirs, Bashir II (1788 - 1840), reinforced a strong central authority exercised over Mount Lebanon and the areas adjacent to it. However, Bashir II was constrained by the Egyptian rulers and a decade of Egyptian occupation; this led to his fall and, subsequently, to the end of the Shihabi emirate and the beginning of internal civil strife in the early 1840s. In 1843 European foreign powers convinced the Ottoman sultan to pacify the area, and to relinquish affairs in the north to the French-supported Maronites and in the south to the British-backed Druzes. The uneasiness in Mount Lebanon grew and finally exploded into open confrontation, beginning with the Maronite peasants rising against their Maronite landlords in 1858 and then against their Druze landlords in 1860. The bloody events of that year ended in the special autonomous administration of Mount Lebanon within the Ottoman Empire. This arrangement quickly failed and was replaced by a political regime known as Mutasarrifiyya, headed by a mutasarrif (governor) that imposed a ruler from outside Lebanon who was a subject of the Ottoman sultan. The French mandate replaced the Mutasarrifiyya in 1918, and the Druzes in Syria and Lebanon came under the French rule; the Druzes in Palestine and Jordan came under the British mandate. The 1920s and 1930s marked a period of revolts and unrest in the entire region, leading to the independence of Lebanon (1943), Syria (1944), and Israel (1948), and the separation of Druze communities by new national boundaries.

The Syrian Druzes have participated in politics largely through the Atrash family and its recent prominent figure Sultan Pasha al-Atrash. An Arab nationalist symbol of the 1925 to 1927 Jabal Druze revolt against the French forces, Sultan al-Atrash continued to influence local and national politics amongst Druzes until his death in 1982. In the 1967 war between Israel and the Arab states, Israel conquered vast lands, including the Syrian Golan Heights, where four Druze villages have resisted Israeli attempts for annexation; they continue to reassert their Syrian identity, and wish to reunite one day with their relatives in Syria.

The Druzes in Palestine in the 1930s and 1940s were a part of the Arab Legion forces despite their feuds with the surrounding Muslim populations. But in 1947 to 1948 a split took place in the Druze community, and some Druzes voluntarily enlisted in the Israeli army, while others resisted any form of cooperation with the Israeli forces. Subsequently, the first faction prevailed, and in 1956 Israel passed a law requiring three years of military service for all Druze males. Since the 1970s the social and political standings of Druzes in Israel have been gradually improving.

The Druzes in Lebanon have participated in the politics of the country through the two major factions of Jumblattis and Arslanis. In 1958 Kamal Jumblatt and his Progressive Socialist Party, which he founded in 1949, demanded political and social reforms for all Lebanese sects. This crisis led to the deployment of U.S. Marines in Lebanon for seven months to help the national government to restore the peace. Two decades later, however, Lebanon faced a military confrontation that erupted into a full-scale civil war in the spring of 1975. At the beginning of the war the Druzes were a part of a loose coalition of Sunnis, Shiʿa, and Greek Orthodox that fought the Maronite Christian militias, but while the war was still raging, Kamal Jumblatt was assassinated in 1977 and his son Walid took his place. Walid Jumblatt's forces regained previously lost towns, established control over the Shuf Mountain, and emerged victorious in the eyes of the community. In the war many Christians were displaced and it was only in the 1990s that arrangements were made for their return.

Finally, the Lebanese civil war of 1975 to 1990 forced Druzes in Lebanon and elsewhere to put aside their factional politics and to focus on their community's welfare. Furthermore, the civil war also promoted interactions between the Lebanese, Syrian, Israeli, and Jordanian Druze communities. Druzes are likely to continue being loyal to the countries in which they live while doing what is necessary to protect their local and regional communities.

Bibliography

Abu Izzeddin, Nejla M. The Druzes. Leiden, Neth.: Brill, 1984; 1993.

Ben-Dor, Gabriel. The Druzes in Israel: A Political Study. Jerusalem: Magnes, 1981.

Betts, Robert Benton. The Druze. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1988.

Firro, Kais. The Druzes in the Jewish State. Leiden, Neth.: Brill, 2001.

Firro, Kais. A History of the Druzes. Leiden, Neth.: Brill, 1992.

Hitti, Philip K. The Origins of the Druze People and Religion. New York: AMS Press, 1928.

Makarem, Sami Nasib. The Druze Faith. New York: Delmar, 1974.

Swayd, Samy. The Druzes: An Annotated Bibliography. Kirkland, WA, and Los Angeles, CA: ISES Publications, 1998.

Swayd, Samy. A Historical Dictionary of the Druzes. Lanham, MD, and London: Scarecrow Press, 2004.

ROBERT BETTS
UPDATED BY SAMY S. SWAYD

 
Wikipedia: Druze
Druze دروز
Druze_star.svg
Druze Star
Total population

450,000 to 1,000,000

Regions with significant populations
Flag of Syria Syria 865,000[1]
Flag of Lebanon Lebanon 280,000[2] to 350,000[3]
Flag of Israel Israel 118,000[5] *
Flag of Jordan Jordan 20,000[6]
Outside the Middle East 100,000
In the Flag of the United States United States 20,000[7]
Religions
Druzism
Scriptures
Rasa'il al-hikmah (Epistles of Wisdom)
Languages
Arabic, Hebrew
*Includes Druze in the Golan Heights

Part of a series on Shia Islam
Ismailism

Alishia.gif
Branches

NizariDruzeMustaali

Pillars

WalayahSalah
ZakahSawmHajjJihad
TaharahShahada

Concepts

The Qur'anThe Ginans
ReincarnationPanentheism
ImamPirDa'i al-Mutlaq
AqlNumerologyTaqiyya
ZahirBatin

History

All ImamsFatimid Empire
Hamza ibn Aliad-Darazi
Hassan-i-SabbahHashashin
DawoodiSulaimaniAlavi
HafiziTaiyabiAinsarii
SevenersQarmatians
SadardinSatpanth
Baghdad Manifesto

Early Imams

AliHasanHusayn
al-Sajjadal-Baqiral-Sadiq
IsmailMuhammad
Ahmadat-Taqiaz-Zaki
al-Mahdial-Qa'imal-Mansur
al-Muizzal-Azizal-Hakim
az-Zahiral-MustansirNizar
al-Musta'lial-Amiral-Qasim

Contemporary Leaders

Aga Khan IV
Mohammed Burhanuddin
al-Fakhri Abdullah
Taiyeb Ziyauddin Saheb
Mowafak Tarif

The Druze (Arabic: درزي, derzī or durzī, plural دروز, durūz; Hebrew: דרוזים‎, Druzim; also transliterated Druz or Druse) are a Middle Eastern religious community whose traditional religion is said to have begun as an offshoot of the Ismaili sect of Islam, but is unique in its incorporation of Gnostic, neo-Platonic and other philosophies. Druze consider themselves theologically as "an Islamic Unist, reformatory sect",[8]. The Druze call themselves Ahl al-Tawhid ("People of Monotheism") or al-Muwahhidūn ("Monotheists"). The origin of the name Druze is traced to Nashtakin ad-Darazi, one of the first preachers of the religion.

Location

The Druze reside primarily in Syria (country with largest population), Lebanon (country with highest percentage), and Israel, with a smaller community in Jordan.[9] The Israeli Druze are mostly in the Galilee (70%) and around Haifa (25%), and the Jordanian Druze can be found in Amman and Zarka, and a smaller number in Irbid and Aqaba. The Golan Heights, a region captured by Israel from Syria during the Six-Day War in 1967, is home to about 20,000 Druze,[10] and consists of a Syrian citizen-majority and an Israeli citizen-minority. The Institute of Druze Studies estimates that 40%-50% of Druze live in Syria, 30%-40% in Lebanon, 6%-7% in Israel, and 1%-2% in Jordan. [11] [12]

Large communities of expatriate Druze also live outside the Middle East, in the United States, Canada, Latin America, West Africa, Australia and Europe. They use the Arabic language and follow a social pattern very similar to the East Mediterraneans of the region. Most Druze consider themselves Arabs.[13][14]

There are thought to be as many as 1 million Druze worldwide, the vast majority in the Levant or East Mediterranean.[15] However, some estimates of the total Druze population have been as low as 450,000.[16]

Ethnic origin and genetics

Traditionally there has been two branches of Druze living in the Jabal Amel region. The Yemeni Druze (headed by the Hamdan and Al-Atrash families) and Kaysi Druze (headed by the Jumblat and Arsalan families).

The Hamdan family had been banished from Mount Lebanon following the battle of Ain Dara in 1711. This battle was fought between two Druze factions : the Yemeni and the Kaysi. The Kaysi were represented by the Jumblat and Arslan families and the Yemeni by the Hamdan and Al-Atrash families.

Following their dramatic defeat, the Yemeni faction migrated to Syria in the Jebel-Druze region and its capital, Soueida.

According to DNA testing, Druze are remarkable for their high frequency (35%) of males who carry the Y-chromosomal haplogroup L, which is otherwise uncommon in the Mideast (Shen et al 2004).[17] This haplogroup originates from prehistoric South Asia.

History

Druze woman wearing a tantur, Chouf, 1870s.
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Druze woman wearing a tantur, Chouf, 1870s.

Druze history goes back to the Middle Ages when the Druze sect began to develop. A noted traveler Benjamin of Tudela wrote about the Druze in his diary in 1167. He describes the Druze as "Mountain dwellers, monotheists, [who] believe in soul eternity and are good friends with the Jews" and other religions as well.

In the 11th century CE, Druze religious thought further developed through the Ismaili sect, a sub group of Shia Islam. The Druze did not attempt to change basic principles in the Islamic religion, but tried to create a united country of Muslims from different sects. Druze tried to concentrate on principles that all Muslim sects share in common, and give for each sect the freedom of opinion in minor branches in Islam that don't affect the princples. [citation needed] it is known that they believe in one God and seven prophets - Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad. They believe that Muhammad is the last prophet and that the holy "Quran" is the law by which they abide. However, they have the freedom to interpret the unclear Quranic phrases without altering any of the Islamic principles or beliefs.

Druzes believe the Fātimid caliph al-Hakim, who ruled over Egypt (985–1021), to be the uniter of Muslims and nourisher of the Islamic power at that time. The first to hold that view was a man called Hasan ibn Haidara al-Ahram, an Ismaili Da'i and courtier of al-Hakim. After his assassination, his cause was taken up by the Persian immigrant Hamza ibn ˤAlī ibn Aḥmad, who in a 1017 letter demanded that all officers and courtiers should acknowledge power that was given by God to al-Hakim and the previous Fatimid Caliphs to unite and empower Islam. Hamza became the actual architect of the group.

The fatimid imam Al-Hakim monitored and directed Hamza's activities. However, Hakim disappeared one night in 1021 under still unclear circumstances.

After Hakim's disappearance, Hamza Ibn Ali completed his directions and procedures to improve the Islamic weakness at that time. This was translated few years later by the refresh of Druze's Islamic beliefs and applying principles in a more powerful manner.

The Druze have played major roles in the history of the Levant. They were mostly scattered in the Chouf Mountains, which are part of Mount Lebanon (known for some time as the Mount of the Druzes), and later the eponymous Jabal al-Durūz (Mount of the Druzes) in Syria, which was an autonomous state in the French Mandate of Syria from 1921 to 1936, under the same name.

The Druze also played a major role in the Lebanese Civil War (19751990). They organized a militia under the leadership of Walid Jumblatt (son of Kamal Jumblatt), in opposition to the Maronite Christian Phalangist militia of Bachir Gemayel in the Mount Lebanon area (especially the Chouf) . A peace treaty was then signed between the Druze and Maronite leaders which has enabled them to live peacefully together and later become allies.

The Druze today

In Lebanon, Syria and Israel, the Druze have official recognition as a separate religious community with its own religious court system. Their symbol is an array of five colors: green, red, yellow, blue and white. Each color pertains to a symbol defining its principles: green for ˤAql "the Universal Mind", red for 'Nafs' "the Universal Soul", yellow for Kalima "the Truth/Word", blue for Sabq "the Antagonist/Cause" and white for Talī "the Protagonist/Effect". These principles are why the number five has special considerations among the religious community; it is usually represented symbolically as a five-pointed star.

In Israel

In Israel, where the Druze enjoy prominence in the military and in politics greatly surpassing their proportion of the general population, the majority of Druze do not identify themselves as Arabs [18]. Since 1957 the Israeli government has officially considered the Druze to be a distinct ethnic community, at the request of the community's leaders.

Daliyat Al-Karmel, Israeli Memorial to 355 Druze killed while fighting for Israel
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Daliyat Al-Karmel, Israeli Memorial to 355 Druze killed while fighting for Israel

Israeli Druze serve in the Israeli army, voluntarily during 1948-1956, and, at the community's request, compulsorily ever since.[19] Their privileges and responsibilities are the same as those of Israeli Jews; thus, all Druze are drafted, but exemptions are given for religious students and for various other reasons, as in the majority Jewish population. Israeli Druze have achieved high positions of command in the Israeli military, far beyond their proportion in the general population of Israel. Most recently in the 2006 Lebanon War, the all-Druze Herev [sword] Battalion, through their knowledge of the Lebanese terrain, suffered no casualties and are reported to have killed 20 Hezbollah fighters, triggering suggestions that the battalion be transformed into a sayeret (elite unit)[20]. In 1996, Azzam Azzam, a Druze Israeli businessman, was accused by Egypt of spying for Israel and was imprisoned for eight years, an accusation denied by the Israeli government.

In January 2004, the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Israel, Shaykh Mowafak Tarif, signed a declaration calling on all non-Jews in Israel to observe the Seven Noahide Laws as laid down in the Bible and expounded upon in Jewish tradition. The mayor of the Galilean city of Shfaram also signed the document.[21] The declaration includes the commitment to make a "...better humane world based on the Seven Noahide Commandments and the values they represent commanded by the Creator to all mankind through Moses on Mount Sinai."[21]

Support for the spread of the Seven Noahide Commandments by the Druze leaders reflects the biblical narrative itself. The Druze community reveres the non-Jewish father-in-law of Moses, Jethro, whom Muslims call Shuˤayb. According to the biblical narrative, Jethro joined and assisted the Jewish people in the desert during the Exodus, accepted monotheism, but ultimately rejoined his own people. In fact, the tomb of Jethro near Tiberias is the most important religious site for the Druze community.[22] It has been claimed that the Druze are actually descendents of Jethro.

The relationship between Israeli Jews and Druze since Israel's independence in 1948 is no less emotional than practical, partly because of the considerable number of Israeli Druze soldiers that have fallen in Israel's wars, and is commonly known by the term brit damim - "covenant of blood". This expression has however been criticized in recent years as being evident of a narrow context which does not provide enough opportunity for Israeli Druze youth beyond the traditional military relationship.[23]

Some of Druze living in the Golan Heights, which came under Israeli rule in 1967 and Israeli law, jurisdiction and administration in 1981, consider themselves Syrian and refuse Israeli citizenship.

Beliefs of the Druze

The Druze faith abides by Islamic principles. They are publicly open about their faith and they do not accept converts and strongly discourage conversion from their religion to another. The Druze do not fear their religion disappearing. Their refusal of converts is due to many religious, political, and historical reasons.

The Druze believe in the unity of God, hence their preference for the name "People of Monotheism" or "Monotheists". Their theology has a Neo-Platonic view about how God interacts with the world through emanations and is similar to some gnostic and other esoteric sects. They are somehow influenced by the Sufi philosophy, as many believe. Some Druzr sheikhs interpret Quranic phrases that they believe talk about reincarnation. However, this can't be considered as a Druze main belief as many consider.

Some principles Druze focus on are: guarding one's tongue (honesty), protecting one's brother, respecting the elderly, helping others, protecting one's homeland, and belief in one God. They reject polygamy, tobacco smoking, alcohol, and consumption of pork.

Druze religion does not allow them to intermarry with Christians, Jews, or members of any other religions since they have different beliefs and different traditions.

The Druze have the five colored flag which was made to identify this Islamic sect from others. Many interpretations were made to that flag but the main one is: Fatimah, her father (Muhammad), her husband, and her two sons. Others translate these colors to others religious people and prophets and meaning. The Druze believe in prophets like Adam, Muhammed (mohamad), Noah (Nūħ), Abraham (Ibrāhīm), Sarah, Jacob (Yaˤqub), Moses (Mūsā), Solomon (Sulaymān), John the Baptist (Yahya), and Jesus (Isā) and Jethro, or Shuayb. They also believe in the wisdom of classical Greek philosophers such as Plato and Pythagoras, who have the a lower stature as other prophets. In addition, they have an array of "wise men" that founded the religion in the 11th century.

Individual prayer does powerfully exist. Druze are required to follow the Muslim duties of prayer, fasting, or pilgrimage to Mecca. One of the faith's holy books is called the Kitābu l-Hikma or "Book of Wisdom" which is one of the other names of Quran as the "Forqan" is.

Druze accept all followers of the prophet and don't hate any of them as others do. They do believe that Abu bakr, Omar, Othman, Aly and others were good followers of the prophet.

ˤUqqāl and Juhhāl

Druze Sheikh (ˤUqqāl) wearing religious dress.
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Druze Sheikh (ˤUqqāl) wearing religious dress.

The Druze are split into two groups. The outer group, called al-Juhhāl (جهال), "the Ignorant", are not granted access to the secret Druze holy literature. They form the Druze political and military leadership and generally distance themselves from religious issues. They comprise perhaps 80% of the Druze.

The inner group are called al-ˤUqqāl (عقال), "the Knowledgeable Initiates". Women and men are considered equally capable of being knowledgeable initiates.

Druze women who are ˤuqqāl can opt to wear al-mandīl, a loose white veil, especially in the presence of other people. They wear al-mandīl on their head to cover their hair and wrap it around their mouth and sometimes over their nose as well. They wear black shirts and long skirts covering their legs to their ankles. Male ˤuqqāl grow moustaches, and wear dark clothing with white turbans. The purpose of these clothes is to cover the body of men and women in a respectful way and obedient to what the holy "Quran" says.

The ˤuqqāl themselves are considered equal in rights and one is better from the other according to the efforts s/he gives to do what makes them close to God.

Druze places of worship are usually very modest and the Ajawīd lead very modest lifestyles. Prayer is usually conducted discreetly, among family and friends. The heart is considered to be the place that needs to be clean first to pray and be close to God. Druze practice praying the same way other Muslim sects do. There is little official hierarchy in the religious community except for the Shaykh al-ˤAql, whose role is more political and social than religious. A religious figure is admired for his wisdom and lifestyle.

The Druze, as a sect of Islam, follow the same traditions of fasting as Muslims in the month of Ramadan. In addition to that, they consider fasting from doing sins and saying bad things should be applied every second; not just in Ramadan

Prominent Druze figures

Main article: List of Druze
Sultan Pasha al-Atrash (1885-1982), commander of the Syrian Revolution of 1925-1927.
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Sultan Pasha al-Atrash (1885-1982), commander of the Syrian Revolution of 1925-1927.
  • Fakhreddin II (1588–1635), descendant of the Ma'an Dynasty, ruled at its height what is now Lebanon, part of Syria, Israel and even part of Turkey.
  • L'Emir Magid Arslan was the leader of the independence of Lebanon in 1943 when the president Bechara el Khoury with fellow ministers were taken to prison to rachaya by the French. His sons L'Emir Faysal Arslan and L'Emir Talal Arslan fought each other democratically to gain seat in the Lebanese Parliament but L'Emir Talal Arslan won the seat because of Syria's influence over Lebanon during the Lebanese elections in 1992.
  • Kamal Jumblatt founded the Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party in the mid-20th century and was a major thinker and philosopher; his son Walid Jumblatt remains prominent in Lebanese politics.
  • In Israel, Salah Tarif, a former captain in the paratrooper and the tank divisions of the Israeli Army, has been a Knesset member since 1992. He has served as the Deputy Speaker and the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and was appointed Minister Without Portfolio in the Sharon government of 2001.
  • Colonel Imad Fares, acclaimed commander of the Givati Brigade of the Israeli Army from 2001–2003.
  • Major General Hussain Fares, commander of the Israel Border Police.
  • Lieutenant General Salim Slim, commander of the Lebanese Judiciary Police.
  • Azzam Azzam was accused of spying for Israel by Egypt and jailed there for eight years before being released in late 2004.
  • The famous musician Farid al-Atrash, born in Syria's Jabal al-Durūz to Prince Fahed al Atrash (brother of Sultan Pasha al-Atrash). He moved to Egypt with his mother, brother and sister Asmahan (born Amal), who was also a famous singer. He composed hundreds of songs and acted in many movies. Al-Atrache revived the Eastern musical traditions with such pieces as "Lahn al-Khulud" and the Rabeeh Opera.
  • Radio announcer Casey Kasem, born Kamal Amin Kasem to Lebanese Druze immigrants to the USA, is probably that country's best-known figure of Druze heritage. About 50,000 Druze live in the United States.
  • Sultan Pasha al-Atrash was leader of the revolution against the French occupation of Lebanon and Syria in the 1920s. He is viewed by many Druze, as well as many non-Druze Arabs, as a symbol of courage and defiance to outside influence and occupation.
  • Mohammed Nafah, Secretary General of the Israeli Communist Party Maki.
  • Majalli Wahabi, Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, appointed as acting President of Israel in February of 2007.
  • Ramy Ayach, a famous Lebanese singer .

See also

Further reading

  • Minorities in the Middle East: Druze Communities 1840-1974 edited by B. Destani, 4 volumes Archive Editions ISBN 1840971657more information
  • I, the Divine: A Novel in First Chapters by Rabih Alameddine [1]

References

  1. ^ Druze of Syria.
  2. ^ Lebanon Congressional Research Service Brief, Updated March 16, 2006
  3. ^ The Druze in the Middle East: Their Faith, Leadership, Identity and Status, By Dana, Nissim
  4. ^ Press Release: The Druze Population of Israel. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (April 19, 2007). (Hebrew)
  5. ^ Press Release: The Druze Population of Israel. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics (April 19, 2007). (Hebrew)
  6. ^ US State Department International Religious Freedom Report 2005
  7. ^ Institute of Druze Studies - Druze Traditions
  8. ^ Al-Maðhab at-Tawḥīdī ad-Durzī p. 66 by Najib Israwi, cited in Samy Swayd 1998, The Druzes: An Annotated Bibliography, ISBN 0-9662932-0-7
  9. ^ http://lexicorient.com/e.o/druze.htm
  10. ^ Localities and Population, by District, Sub-District, Relition and Population Group. Statistical Abstract of Israel 2006. Israel Central Bureau of Statistics.
  11. ^ http://www.druzestudies.org/druzes.html
  12. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=2nCWIsyZJxUC&pg=PA99&lpg=PA99&dq=druze+population+lebanon&source=web&ots=XpkTcA-TUj&sig=0K6Vh-8YA-A6_CUCH619FPd5EJw
  13. ^ Walid Jumblatt, head of Lebanese Progressive Party. Op-ed: 'The Arabs must unite above all else' (free registration required).
  14. ^ Rabah Halabi, Citizens of equal duties — Druze identity and the Jewish State, p. 55 (Hebrew)
  15. ^ Druze set to visit Syria BBC News Online, 30 August 2004. Retrieved 8 September 2006.
  16. ^ Major Branches of Religions Ranked by Number of Adherents Adherents.com. Last updated 28 October 2005. Retrieved 8 September 2006.
  17. ^ http://evolutsioon.ut.ee/publications/Shen2004.pdf
  18. ^ Identity Repertoires among Arabs in Israel, by Muhammad Amara and Izhak Schnell; Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Vol. 30, 2004
  19. ^ http://www.jcpa.org/jl/hit06.htm
  20. ^ "Druze Herev Battalion Fights 32 Days With No Casualties", Israel National News
  21. ^ a b Islam Religious Leader Commits to Noahide "Seven Laws of Noah". Institute of Noahide Code. Retrieved on 2007-07-15.
  22. ^ http://www.arutzsheva.com/news.php3?id=56379
  23. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=owhg2R8Ndy8C&pg=RA2-PA209&lpg=RA2-PA209&dq=brit+damim&source=web&ots=R5XRi007Id&sig=ZJavvUQ4GDZFz2PM4LPP4DOT9BE#PRA2-PA211,M1]

External links

Sources

Communities

Other links


 

Dansk (Danish)
n. - druser

Nederlands (Dutch)
Druze (bepaalde moslimsekte), de Druzen betreffend

Français (French)
n. - Druze

Deutsch (German)
n. - Druse

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - Δρούζος
adj. - Δρούζος, των Δρούζων

Italiano (Italian)
druso

Português (Portuguese)
n. - druso (m)
adj. - druso

Русский (Russian)
друз

Español (Spanish)
n. - druso

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - druser (folkslag/sekt)
adj. - drusiskt

中文(简体) (Chinese (Simplified))
伊斯兰教的宗派

中文(繁體) (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 伊斯蘭教的宗派

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 드루즈파 (이슬람교 시아파내의 과격파)

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ドルーズ派の人

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) الدرزي, واحد من طائقه الدروز (صفه) درزي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮דרוזי‬


 
 

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