Historical roots of Druze in Syria and the Middle East

[Anthea]

The Druze in Syria and
elsewhere in the Middle East
By MARIAM FAM

The Druze religious sect, enmeshed in an outbreak of tit-for-tat violence in Syria, began roughly 1,000 years ago as an offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam

Most Druze religious practices are shrouded in secrecy, with outsiders not allowed to convert and intermarriage strongly discouraged.

More than half the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981

Here’s a look at the Druze sect:

The principles Druze live by

A core social doctrine for Druze is defending their brothers, meaning defending one another, said Makram Rabah, assistant professor of history at the American University of Beirut.

“If a Druze person anywhere in the world needed the help of another Druze person, he would automatically get it,” said Rabah. “You’re part of a bigger community.”

He stressed how social and cultural rituals keep the community together. “They’re a big tribe,” he said.

Intermarriage is not encouraged. Rabah said mainstream Druze would shun people who marry outside the sect. “You are under the risk of being isolated socially and community wise,” he said.

How Druze have interacted with the Syrian government

Syria’s Druze have a long history of cutting their own path to survive among the country’s powerhouses. They were heavily involved in revolts against Ottoman and French colonial rule to establish the modern Syrian state.

The Druze largely celebrated the downfall in December of Syrian autocrat Bashar Assad but were divided over interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s rule.

The latest violence has left the community more skeptical of Syria’s new leadership and doubtful of peaceful coexistence.

In Israel, members of the Druze community had called for intervention to protect the Druze in Syria. But elsewhere in the region, Druze leaders have rejected Israeli intervention.

Druze have armed militias

Multiple Druze armed militias have existed for years, originally set up to protect their communities against Islamic State group fighters and drug smugglers coming in from the eastern desert.

Assad reluctantly gave Druze a degree of autonomy, as they wanted to avoid being involved on the front lines. The Druze were exempted from conscription into the Syrian army and instead set up local armed factions made of workers and farmers to patrol their areas.

Since Assad’s ouster, the Druze have been reluctant to lay down their arms. The result is a cycle of mistrust, where government supporters paint Druze factions as potential separatists or tools of Israel, while government hostility only deepens Druze worries.
................................................................................................
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content

[Anthea]

1,000-year-old mystery of Druze
with a genetic sat nav

For 1,000 years, the mysterious origin of the Druze people – who live almost exclusively in the mountains of Syria, Lebanon and Israel – has captivated linguists, historians, and sociologists. There has been much dispute over whether the Druze are of Arabian, Turkish, Caucasus or Persian origin. But thanks to our new research that mystery may now have been solved, with the use of a genetic GPS system – that works in a similar way to the sat nav in your car

There are thought to be around 1m Druze people in the world today, whose secretive religion was developed in 986 AD as a movement within Islam. While the spiritual elements of their religion are highly guarded and known only to the elders, the known practices are made up of various religions which include Hinduism, Christianity, Islam and Judaism. This variety is most likely based on historical gatherings that are typical of nomadic tribes.

Previous research has always placed the origins of the Druze in the the Near East region. And by zooming in on the area, our genetic GPS traced most Druze to the region that overlaps northeast Turkey, southwest Armenia and northern Iraq. This area borders the Zagros and the Ararat mountains and is the tallest region in Turkey.

This was discovered by applying our GPS tool to the genomes of over 150 Druze, along with Palestinians, Bedouins, Syrians and Lebanese to compare their ancestral origins.

Mountain dwelling warriors

Throughout history, the Caucasus region – which borders Europe and Asia – was subjected to political, military, religious and cultural conflict, which prompted many tribes to seek refuge in remote regions. The Druze were no different.

It is thought that the first Druze worshippers probably lived in Cairo, where Druzism was adopted by Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah who ruled in Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean – known as the Levant – between 996 and 1021. But after his sudden disappearance, his successor prosecuted the Druze ruthlessly and abolished the faith in Egypt. By that time, however, the faith had already spread outside Egypt and become accepted among several Levantine groups.

Divers recently found gold coins from this period at an ancient port in Caesarea, that were produced in Egypt and elsewhere in North Africa. Most of the coins carry the name of Al-Hakim. Carla Amit, Israel Antiques Authority

The Druze were first recorded by the 12th century Jewish traveller Benjamin of Tudela who described them as fearless, mountain-dwelling warriors who favoured the Jews. And by that time, because of earlier persecutions, their faith was closed to new followers and they opposed marriage outside of the Druze faith.

The remote mountainous regions provided the Druze with protection and allowed them to maintain the close societal structure that is integral to their religious practices. Like other Caucasus populations, the Druze may even be genetically adapted to cope with the thinner mountain air allowing them to live comfortably in these remote parts.

Druze meet the Jews

Though the Druze have previously been considered to have little genetic mixing – known as a “population isolate” by some geneticists – this is actually incorrect. And in fact by exchanging their diverse Near Eastern genes with Middle Eastern populations – such as Syrians and Palestinians – the Druze people created a more mixed genome than their ancestors, or other Middle Eastern populations.

Genetic evidence also suggests that over the years non-Druze tribes and individuals have contributed and enriched the Druze gene pool.

Previous research has also shown that Ashkenazic Jews and Druze are genetically closer to one another than Middle Eastern populations – but until now, it was not clear why. Combined with our earlier research showing the northeastern Turkish origins of Ashkenazic Jews, we can explain that genetic similarity via the shared origin of Ashkenazic Jews and Druze. Medieval Ashkenazic Jews lived in ancient villages in northeast Turkey known as “ancient Ashkenaz” – which was close to the mountainous homeland of the Druze.

Our findings explain a 1,000-year saga of two people living side by side in these lands. And as the Ashkenazic Jews moved northward into the Khazarian Empire, the Druze moved southwards to Palestine – only for both people to reunite hundreds of years later. And although by that time, neither one recalled their common roots, both retained the evidence in their genes.

https://theconversation.com/solving-the ... -nav-68550

[Anthea]

From Hakkari to Suweida

The historical roots of the Drusians and their unexpected closeness to the Kurds!

In Suweida, Southern Syria, something historical is taking place right now. A people's uprising, led by Drusian civilians and armed groups, has shaken both Damascus and Idlib. But what makes it even more remarkable is what names are called in the demonstrations - and which allied drus leaders are openly seeking.

We want to be governed by Mazloum Abdi!

it was recently shouted from the streets of Suweida, where thousands of Druese protested against the chaos in southern Syria.

Yes - Mazloum Kobane, Commander-in-Chief of the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces), i.e. the Kurdish leadership in Western Kurdistan, is now a sought-after leadership even among parts of the Druze. At a time when regimes are falling and new orders are formed, marginalized people turn to each other.

According to local sources, leaders within the Druse's own council in Suweida have expressed that they prefer to see the Kurds as protectors rather than the Islamic groups that have sought to take control of the area. In a speech circulating on social media, one of the Sheikhs says openly: "If Damascus does not protect us, then we choose the Kurds - they have shown what autonomy and discipline mean. "

This isn't just an outplay in desperation - it carries traces of an ancient history.

* Several historical sources show that Drusian elite families, such as Jumblatt in Lebanon, have Kurdish origin. Walid Jumblatt himself has said: "My grandfather's father came from Hakkari, he was a Kurdish."

* Kurdish groups migrated to the Levant during the Fatimids and Ayyubids, and some were integrated into what later became the Drusian community.

* Even in their costumes, names and traditions there are cultural traces that are reminiscent of northern mountain people.

Today, the ties seem to be reconnected - not through blood, but through shared ideals: freedom, local control and protection against extremism

What is happening in Suweida right now is not just about a people's uprising.

This is about a new strategic shift in the Middle East. A brotherhood that has long been hidden in the shadows may be about to emerge again - between the Druze in the south and the Kurds in the north.

Maybe it's the beginning of something bigger. Perhaps it is the beginning of an alliance between two of the region's most fearless people