The
Druze Communities
information about all the druze
villages and pictures soon...
middle east Israel
druze village
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The
Carmel
Israel and druze
In the late 1980s Israel Druzes
lived in seventeen villages in Galilee and around Mount Carmel. Of these,
nine were all Druze and the rested, mostly with Christian Arabs. Less
than 10 percent of Druzes in Israel lived in cities--compared to more
than 60 percent of Christians. The Druze religion is known mainly for
being shrouded in secrecy, even from large groups of Druzes themselves,
the juhhal, uninitiated or "ignorant ones." The uqqal , the
"wise," or initiated, undergo periods of initiation, each
signaling an increased mastery of the mysteries of the faith. Although
there is a formal separation between religious and political
leadership,the wise ones have traditionally wielded considerable
political influence. The religion is fiercely monotheistic and includes
an elaborate doctrine of the reincarnation and transmigration of souls.
It shares with Shia Islam the doctrine of p racticing , the art of
dissimulation in hostile environments. In the past this practice meant
seeming to worship in the manner of the conqueror or dominant group,
without apostasy. In more recent times, some observers note, it has meant
being loyal to the state in which they reside, including serving in its
army. Because the Druze religion was considered schismatic to Islam, even
to Shia Islam, Druzes occasionally suffered discrimination and
persecution at the hands of Muslims and, like other Middle Eastern
dissidents, inhabited marginal or easily defensible areas : mountain
slopes and intermontane valleys. Because the Druzes have long enjoyed a
reputation for military prowess and good soldiery, they have often not}
suffered discrimination or persecutions lightly or without responding in
kind. Whether because of the desire to settle old scores, or because the
doctrine of taqiya can be stretched in this direction, Druzes have been
remarkable in being a non-Jewish, Arabic-speaking group that has
supported the Jewish state, both in the late Mandate period and since
Israel's independence through service of Druze young men in the IDF and
the paramilitary Border Police. About 175 Druzes have been killed in
action, including a large proportion of that number in the 1982 invasion
of Lebanon.
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