Who Are the Druze?
The Druze are an ethnoreligious group numbering approximately 1-2 million across Lebanon (400,000), Syria (700,000), Israel (150,000), and diaspora globally. They speak Arabic and practice a secretive monotheistic religion that emerged from Ismaili Islam in 11th-century Egypt but developed distinct theology. The Druze closed their religion to converts in 1043; one can only be born Druze. Their faith incorporates Neoplatonic, Gnostic, and Islamic elements, including reincarnation. Historically mountain-dwelling, the Druze have maintained distinct identity through secrecy, endogamy, and loyalty to whichever state they inhabit—leading to military service in Israel despite Arab identity.
Secret Religion
Druze religion is esoteric—full knowledge is restricted to the uqqal (the initiated), perhaps 20% of Druze; the juhhal (uninitiated majority) know basic principles but not theological details. Sacred texts (the Rasa'il al-Hikma) are hidden from outsiders. Core beliefs include monotheism (God is unknowable), reincarnation (souls transmigrate only into Druze), and reverence for prophets including Jethro (their primary prophet), Jesus, and Muhammad. The faith emerged when Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim was declared divine by missionaries Hamza and al-Darazi (from whom "Druze" derives, though Druze prefer "Muwahhidun"—monotheists). Al-Hakim's disappearance in 1021 remains mysteriously significant.
Loyalty to the State
A distinctive Druze principle mandates loyalty to whichever state they inhabit—what scholars call "political quietism." This has led to the unusual situation of Druze serving in opposing armies: Israeli Druze serve in the IDF (with distinction, including Druze generals), while Syrian and Lebanese Druze have fought against Israel. This principle helped Druze survive as minorities in hostile environments but creates complex identities—Israeli Druze are Arab but serve the Jewish state, creating tensions with Palestinian relatives. Syrian Druze have navigated the civil war by generally supporting Assad while avoiding direct combat when possible.
Mountain Community
Druze traditionally inhabited remote mountain areas—Mount Lebanon, Mount Hermon, Syria's Jabal al-Druze—providing defensive terrain for this persecuted minority. Mountain autonomy shaped Druze political organization around feudal lords and later Druze-led governance in Ottoman Lebanon. The distinctive architecture of villages, close-knit communities, and agricultural practices developed in mountain settings. Urbanization has dispersed Druze to cities, but the mountain heartland remains symbolically and practically important—Druze fleeing Syria's civil war sought refuge in the mountains, and the Golan Heights remains home to Syrian Druze under Israeli occupation.
Contemporary Druze
Modern Druze navigate complex identities: Arab but not Muslim, Israeli citizens serving in the military while relatives live in enemy states. Lebanese Druze hold significant political power—Walid Jumblatt leads the Progressive Socialist Party—but are a minority in sectarian politics. Syrian Druze faced difficult choices during the civil war. Israeli Druze have increasingly mobilized for equal citizenship rights, pushing back against the 2018 Nation-State Law. Intermarriage (strictly forbidden by religion) and secularization challenge traditional community boundaries. How Druze maintain religious distinctiveness while adapting to modern nation-states and regional conflicts defines their contemporary challenges.
References
- Firro, K. M. (1992). A History of the Druzes
- Swayd, S. (2006). The A to Z of the Druzes
- Hajjar, L. (2000). Israel's Interventions among the Druze