DRUSE, DRUZE


History

The Druse are a fiercely independent group concentrated in Lebanon around the base of Mount Hermon, and in the mountains behind Beirut and Sidon. A few villages are also located on the Golan Heights, in Syria and just inside the Northern border of Israel.

Very little information is known about the Druse religion. It started in the 9th Century CE as a break-away group from Islam. Darazi (a preacher) and Hamza ibn Ali ibn Ahmad (a Persian mystic) were instrumental in founding the religion. They announced that God had manifested himself in human form as al-Hakim Bi-amr Allah, (985 or 996-1021 CE), a Muslim caliph from Cairo Egypt.

After the death of their leader Baha al-Din in 1031 CE, their religion became exclusive: they do not accept converts; they do not marry other than fellow Druse; they do not leave the faith. They currently total about 200 to 300 thousand members. The Druse keep their religion secret, and often pose as members of the locally dominant religion.


Beliefs:


Practices:


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References


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