Druze

I

Introduction

Druze, Middle Eastern religious sect that originated from the Ismaili sect of Shia Islam in the 11th century. Religion dominates their habits and customs. Today, the Druze community numbers about 1 million members who reside mainly in Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Israeli-occupied territory of the West Bank (including the Palestinian Authority), and Jordan. There also are small Druze communities in Australia, Europe, and the United States.

The basis of the Druze religion is the belief that al-Hakim, a caliph (ruler) of the Fatimid dynasty of Egypt, was the incarnation of God. The Ismaili Fatimid rulers claimed descent as well as legitimacy as Muslim caliphs through Fatima, the daughter of the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam. Al-Hakim, the sixth caliph, ruled from 996 to 1021. A Turkish dai (preacher) named Muhammad al-Darazi spread the notion of al-Hakim as God incarnate to Muslims in the regions now known as Syria, Lebanon, and Israel. Individuals who followed these ideas were named Druze after al-Darazi.

II

Beliefs

The Druze believe that through al-Hakim God made a final attempt to guide humans and that God, reincarnated as al-Hakim, the mahdi (Muslim savior), will return at the end of time to establish truth, order, and justice. In these beliefs, the Druze religion is an outgrowth of Shia Islam, but it also was greatly influenced by Gnostic elements from Judaism, Christianity, and Greek thought. The Gnostics taught that salvation comes from religious truths that are revealed only to the initiated and that liberate individuals from the evils of the earthly world (see Gnosticism).

The Druze believe in a single divinity whose qualities cannot be understood or fully defined, a deity who renders justice impartially. The Druze do not proselytize (try to convert others); they are instead secretive about their beliefs and practices. The seven cardinal principles to which all Druze are expected to adhere are (1) honesty in dealing with each other, (2) mutual protection and assistance, (3) renunciation of other faiths, (4) belief in the divinity of al-Hakim, (5) acceptance of and contentment with God’s actions, (6) submission to God’s will, and (7) separation of themselves from those in error. The Druze believe in the transmigration of souls, with constant advancement through a series of lives and final purification. Druze teachings demand abstinence from wine, tobacco, profanity, and obscenity.

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The Druze, unlike Muslims, do not pray in a mosque. Meetings for prayer and religious instruction, held on Thursday evenings, take place in inconspicuous buildings outside their villages. To protect themselves from persecution and to avoid divulging esoteric (secret) teachings called batin, the Druze may worship alongside members of other faiths, such as Christianity and Islam, as though they were followers of those faiths.

III

History

An Iranian preacher named Hamza bi-Amr Allah had preached in Egypt alongside al-Darazi before the two clashed over leadership. Building upon the missionary work, Hamza claimed the status of imam, or spiritual leader. He was succeeded as leader of the Druze by Baha al-din al-Muqtana. Most of the Druze scriptures, called the Rasail al-Hikmat al-Sharifa (“Messages of the Noble Wisdom”), date from this early period of the religion. The Druze stopped seeking converts to their sect in 1043, shortly after Druze scripture ceased to be revealed. Today, the faith passes from one generation to the next within Druze families who have descended from the early members of the community.

The Druze traditionally dwelt as isolated tribes in Lebanon led by their own amirs (rulers). These tribes fell under the rule, in name at least, of the Ottoman Empire from the 16th century until 1918. But under the leadership of three Druze political families, they maintained a considerable degree of autonomy (self-government) and regional control by opposing the military forces sent by Ottoman sultans to force them into submission. In 1860 bloody conflicts broke out in Lebanon between the region’s Christians, known as Maronites, and the Druze. These conflicts arose in part over localized political control and in part as a result of Druze families converting to Maronite Christianity. European colonial powers intervened to protect the Christians. A French force occupied Lebanon, and in 1864 a Christian governor-general was appointed. These events marked the end of the political importance of the Lebanese Druze. In Syria the Druze were engaged periodically in struggles against the Ottoman government until 1910, mainly on the issues of taxes and military service.

During World War I (1914-1918) most Druze remained neutral. On September 1, 1918, however, an armed force of Syrian and Lebanese Druze gave assistance to Faisal I, an Arab leader who in turn helped British forces capture the city of Damascus (now capital of Syria) from the Ottomans a month later. After World War I ended France took control of Syria and Lebanon through a mandate from the League of Nations. Late in 1920 the Druze entered into negotiations with the French government, which was dividing Syria into autonomous zones. On March 4, 1921, an agreement was concluded that granted autonomy to a region with the highest concentration of Druze: the Syrian plateau region of Jabal Druze (“Mountains of the Druze”). But the French retained tight control over Syria and meddled in Druze affairs.

In April 1925 the Druze petitioned the French authorities for a hearing to discuss French breaches of the 1921 agreement. On July 11, 1925, General Maurice Sarrail, the high commissioner for the French mandate, ordered his delegate at Damascus to summon the Druze representatives. Upon arrival the Druze leaders were arrested and exiled by the French to the oasis of Palmyra, precipitating a Druze revolt that eventually gave impetus to the independence struggles of Syria and Lebanon.

After the Middle Eastern countries in which they live gained independence, the Druze remained politically active. They have served in their countries’ armed forces and have been elected to the legislatures and appointed to ministerial positions in the cabinets of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria. A Lebanese Druze leader founded Lebanon’s Progressive Socialist Party, which promotes social change, and the Druze continue to dominate that party. During the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990) Druze soldiers fought primarily on the side of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and other Muslims against the Maronite Christians and Christian militias. In Syria the Druze have participated in the regionalist wing, as opposed to the Arab-unity wing, of the ruling Baath party. Druze in Israel have a status separate from that of other Arabic speakers, and, unlike other Arabs, the Druze serve in the Israeli armed forces.

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