Druze

[[file:Druze star.svg|right|thumb|165px|The Druze star. Kind of a religious symbol but not really.]]
{{religion}}
'''Druze''' is a syncretic [[monotheism|monotheistic]] [[Abrahamic religion]] and ethnoreligious group based in the area surrounding southern [[Lebanon]] in the [[Middle East]]. Druzes call themselves ''muwahiddun'' (Arabic for monotheists).<ref name="bi">[https://www.britannica.com/topic/Druze Druze]. ''Encyclopedia Britannica''. Retrieved February 23, 2018.</ref> Druze faith is an offshoot of the Ismaili branch of [[Shia Islam]], which developed through syncretism with Greek philosophies such as [[Plato|Neoplatonism]] and some other philosophical and religious strains such as [[Gnosticism]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=b-w6GfokajcC&pg=PA296&dq=druze+hindu+reincarnation&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwilq8DV-tvKAhWXBY4KHeEtAosQ6AEIHDAA#v=onepage&q=druze%20hindu%20reincarnation&f=false The Israelis: Ordinary People in an Extraordinary Land], Donna Rosenthal, Simon and Schuster, 2003, p.296</ref> However, the Druze do not identify themselves as Muslims and the Druze are considered as a separate religion from [[Islam]].<ref name=mordechai>{{cite book|title=Minorities in the Middle East: A History of Struggle and Self-Expression| last= Nisan| first= Mordechai| publisher=McFarland|isbn=0-7864-5133-5}}</ref><ref group=note>This is contrary to the [[Ahmadiyya]] who identify themselves as Muslim, and objectively can be considered as a [[heretical]] offshoot of Islam.</ref> Their main religious doctrine basically considers [[God]] to be ''everything'', which means both transcendent and immanent, kind of like [[pantheism]].<ref group=note>But technically still different. It indeed was influenced by pantheistic belief too, though, and this can be seen in Islam's [[Sufism]] as well.</ref> Druzes are situated mostly in three Levantine countries — [[Syria]], [[Lebanon]], and [[Israel]] — and there are substantial numbers living in diaspora as well. Each of the communities are loyal to the state to which they belong. The Druze are known for forming a close-knit and highly secretive community in which it is not easy for non-Druze outsiders to be accepted. The Druze do not permit conversion or [[apostasy]].<ref name="bi"/>

==History==
===Inception===
The Druze faith was first preached by an Ismaili mystic and scholar named Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad during the early 11<sup>th</sup> century.<ref>[http://www.druze.com/education/DruzeLuminariesAlHakim-English-level3.pdf]</ref><ref group=note>Hamza competed for religious authority against his disciple Muhammad al-Darazi, who was believed to be assassinated later. Yet, the movement was kept referred to as al-Daraziyyah or al-Daraz, which led to the common name of "Druze" today.</ref> His advocacy gained the support of Al-Hakim, the caliph of the Shia Islamic {{wpl|Fatimid Caliphate}} based in Cairo. Al-Hakim and other theologians began the Druze movement proclaiming Al-Hakim as a divine figure.<ref name="bi"/> The caliph supported religious freedom, and as such the Druze grew substantially during his era. After the presumed assassination of Al-Hakim, the successive caliph Ali az-Zahir began persecuting the Druze due to the movement believing in Hamza as imam,<ref name=samy>{{cite book|title= The Druzes: An Annotated Bibliography | last= Swayd| first= Samy | publisher=ISES Publications|location=Kirkland, WA, USA|year=1998|isbn=0-9662932-0-7}}</ref> and they were deemed to be among the opposing factions of the internal power struggle within the ruling class. The group also caught the opposition of the Fatimid religious establishment.<ref name="bi"/><ref name=about>[http://www.druze.ca/AboutDruze.html About the Faith of The Mo'wa'he'doon Druze].</ref> During the course of events, tens of thousands of Druze were massacred and 5,000 leaders were killed, leading to the faith going underground and relegated to the southern Lebanon area, which continues to this day.<ref name=about /> Druze also ceased to recognize conversion to the faith during this time which is a practice that continues to this day.<ref name="bi"/>

===Middle Ages===
The Druze briefly recovered their reputation during the time of the [[Crusades]], crusaders being the common enemy among the Arab-Islamic factions. The Druze, just like many other close-knit minority groups, was already a potent force and fiercely fought against the Crusaders, earning respect among the Sunni Muslim caliphs, and gained political powers.<ref name="bi"/> However, during the Mamluk period, after the [[fatwa]] of extremely influential and controversial imam {{wpl|Ibn Taymiyyah}} calling for the cleansing of heretical faiths, including Alawites and Shia Islam, the Druze began facing persecution again, which continued during the Mamluk era and throughout the Ottoman era. Periodically, Druze forces initiated rebellions against the central government, which was countered by the rulers, who were unable to fully conquer their stronghold in Mount Lebanon.

===Pre-modern era===
The Druze managed to hold strong under the Ma'an family based in Mount Lebanon, which briefly expanded their dominion across all of Syria, especially under the rule of Fakhr-al-Din II in the 17th century. Fakhr-al-Din II was the first ruler in Lebanon who opened the gate for [[Christian]] missionaries, and he forged an alliance with Maronite Christians to fend off direct Ottoman authority and even signed a treaty between Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany, which demonstrates the extent of his influence.<ref name="bi"/> This led to the Ottomans accepting the political autonomy and privileged position of the Druze within Mount Lebanon.<ref name="Druze heritage">[http://www.druzeheritage.org/dhf/Druze_History.asp]</ref> The Ma'an family was succeeded by the Sunni Muslim Shihab dynasty, which later converted to Maronite Christianity, until the 19th century. From the mid-19th century, Maronite peasants began demanding independence from the Druze feudalism which put the latter in a privileged position. This culminated in the civil war in 1860 between Druzes and Maronites, and ended in the Druze massacring tens of thousands of Maronites in southern Lebanon.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=An Occasion for War: Civil Conflict in Lebanon and Damascus in 1860|author=Fawaz, L.T.|date=1994|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=9780520087828|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rZ_pm2UtD8EC|accessdate=}}</ref>

==Druze today, by country==
===Syria===
There are around 600,000 Druzes in Syria,<ref>http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Syria_Religion_Detailed_lg.png</ref> mostly residing in the southwestern region, making the largest Druze population in the world. While it amounts to merely around 2% of the total Syrian population, it played an important role in the history of modern Syria. The Druze military was especially important during the early days of Syria in which it was basically the only formidable force of the nascent country, so it contributed greatly during the war of independence against [[France]]. The Druze expected autonomy and political privilege in exchange. However, the thankless Syrian ruler in Damascus considered the Druze a dangerous enemy when 4,000 of them could occupy Damascus in a minute (the latter may be true). After the build-up of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) during the 1948 War in Palestine, the SAA began a heavy military campaign against Druze territory under the direction of Adib Shishakli. Although Shishakli was later assassinated by a Druze gunman in 1964, the Druze community suffered substantial damage.<ref name=landis>{{cite web |url= http://faculty-staff.ou.edu/L/Joshua.M.Landis-1/Joshua_Landis_Druze_and_Shishakli.htm |title=Shishakli and the Druzes: Integration and intransigence | first = Joshua | last = Landis |work=The Syrian Land: Processes of Integration and Fragmentation | location = Stuttgart | publisher = Franz Steiner Verlag | year = 1998 | pages = 369–96 | editor1-first =T | editor1-last = Philipp | editor2-first = B | editor2-last = Schäbler}}</ref> Fast forwarding to the [[Syrian Civil War]], the Druze took an opposing stance to the Assad regime during the initial stage of the civil war when the Free Syrian Army (FSA) was still alive.<ref name=wp-druze>[https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/syrias-druze-minority-is-shifting-its-support-to-the-opposition/2013/02/07/9e3f52c6-6d5d-11e2-ada0-5ca5fa7ebe79_story.html "Syria’s Druze minority is shifting its support to the opposition"]. ''[[The Washington Post]]'', 8 February 2013.</ref> Their position in the civil war seems to be neutral after the virtual collapse of the FSA.

===Lebanon===
There are around 200,000 Druzes in Lebanon,<ref name=freedom>[https://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2008/108487.htm Lebanon – International Religious Freedom Report 2008] U.S. Department of State.</ref> who also played an important role in the country's history in spite of constituting a mere 5% of the total population. Before and during the Lebanese Civil War, the Druze were supportive of pan-Arabism and the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). As such, they fought alongside the leftist groups and Palestinian parties against the Christian militia.<ref>Ramirez-Faria, Carlos. ''Concise Encyclopeida Of World History''. Atlantic Publishers & Dist, 2007.</ref> Today, Druzes and Maronites have reconciled.

===Israel===
There are around 130,000 Druzes in Israel,<ref name="CBS13">{{cite web |url =http://www.cbs.gov.il/shnaton64/st02_13.pdf |title = Sources of Population Growth, by District, Population Group and Religion | year =2013 |work =CBS, Statistical abstract of Israel 2013 |publisher =Israel Central Bureau of Statistics |accessdate =}}</ref> mostly residing in the northern region, who are known for actively taking a pro-Israel stance on the issue of the [[Palestine#Israel-Palestine conflict|Israel-Palestine conflict]], contrary to the Druze community in Lebanon. In contrast to Muslim Arab communities in Israel, the Druze are not exempt from serving in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). There are groups of Druze Zionist movements as well.<ref name="Eli Ashkenazi">{{cite news |url=http://www.haaretz.co.il/misc/1.1054873 |script-title=he:הרצל והתקווה בחגיגות 30 לתנועה הדרוזית הציונית |language=he |trans-title=Herzl and hope in celebrating 30 (years of the) Druze Zionist movement |author=Eli Ashkenazi |newspaper=Haaretz |date=3 November 2005 |accessdate=}}</ref>

==Notes==
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==References== 
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[[Category:Abrahamic religions]]

Categories: Abrahamic religions