A Conflict of Mystery and Identity: The Challenges Facing the

Michael Hajik

Junior Scientist| Institute for Studies Canada

Working Papers Series

July 2015

ISSN 2291 -322X (Print) ISBN: 978-0-9918971-8-6 ISSN 2291-3238 (Online)

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Abstract

The Druze are a religious minority in the Middle East that have faced several challenges such as persecution throughout their history. What are the challenges that the Druze face today? This paper proposes that the Druze face threat to their religious identity as a result of modernity and integration, as well as political turmoil and persecution. Content analysis of several studies of the Druze are used to collect data. In North America, a lack of religious infrastructure in the community prevents the development of Druze religious identity. Syrian Druze are faced with the threat of intolerance and violence as well as divided loyalties in the civil war. In , there is a struggle for Druze autonomy. Israeli Druze are struggling to maintain their Druze identity in the breakdown of traditional communal structures and separation from other ethnic identities.

Introduction

The Druze are a faith based on an offshoot of the Ismaili sect of . Their population is roughly that of a million in adherents, and are primarily located in , Lebanon, and Israel with smaller enclaves in Jordan, Canada, Venezuela, the United States, Venezuela, Colombia, and Great

Britain. (Obeid, 2006) Given that they are a post-Islamic minority living in a mainly Sunni combined with their exclusive and secretive practices, the Druze have faced and continue to face numerous challenges. The aim of this paper is to determine what those challenges that the Druze face today are.

Hypothesis

The hypothesis of this paper is that the challenges that the Druze face are that of persecution and social conflict particularly involving a disconnect in Druze identity. Political turmoil has been recently occurring in Syria and Lebanon. Given that the Druze have historically displayed loyalty to their

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individual countries , they have become involved in the politics of Syria and Lebanon even though they live in secluded communities apart from the rest of the population. This involvement in the conflict serves as a catalyst for their persecution. In contrast to Syria and Lebanon, the Druze have become greatly integrated into the Israeli community. Not only do they have members in the Israeli government, there is also a sense of admiration towards the Druze. This has caused friction with the other ethnic and religious groups present within Israel combined with the aforementioned issues in neighbouring

Lebanon and Syria, especially with the

2 division in loyalties of the Druze living in the Golan heights . Furthermore, there has been strain within the Israeli Druze community as well as in North America due to the conflict between this level of integration and their inclusive ethnoreligious identity.

Methodology

This paper will use content analysis of previous qualitative and quantitative research on the

Druze. Case studies will interpret the separate instances of the persecution and social conflict that the

Druze are affected by.

Literature Review

Mordechai Nisan (2010) studied the Druze community in Israel. Nisan examined the nature of the community and determined the status of their identity in relationship with the rest of the community. Previous research regarding the Druze is cited such as interviews with Druze youth and historical analysis of the Druze, as well as comparative research on American immigrants is used as a framework. This study found that their emphasis on religious heritage and ethnic integrity has fostered loyalty to the Israeli state and politics, but has caused a disconnect with the other Arabs and of © IMESC 2

Israel. One key conclusion of Nisan's research is the that the status of a Druze overrides their status as an Arab. Overall, Nisan found that the Druze protects their interests while maintaining allegiance to

Israel, revealing a complex pattern of values. (Nisan, 2006)

Anne Bennett's (2006) paper “, Sect Unity, and Identity Amongst the Druze” explores the effects of the Druze belief in reincarnation, and how it impacts the Druze and their identity.

Bennett (2006) performed qualitative research using

3 interviews and participant observation in two locations in Syria that host primarily Druze populations. It was found that reincarnation was still a popular belief amongst Druze; Bennett (2006) identified common key factors that arise when respondents allege an instance of reincarnation, and the emotional responses and consequences of that belief, namely ostracism by the rest of the Syrian community.

Subject and Analysis

This paper will describe the challenges that the Druze face according to their geographic basis;

Particularly the regions of Syria, North America, and Israel. This is because there are different historical and social contexts that must considered. For the purposes of this paper, religious identity is defined as the religious beliefs and values of an individual.

Syria

In the civil war that has been occurring in Syria for the past few years, there is a complex situation enveloping the Druze that stretches back to the 20th century. The Druze have had a history of rebellion in the Levant, from the revolt against the in 1838 and the French Mandate in

1929. (Schaebler, 2013) More importantly, several Druze were instrumental in the coup that installed

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the Baa'th party in Syria in the 1990s. (Gambill, 2013) This must be kept in consideration when analyzing the complex dynamic that is the Syrian Civil War. As for the allegiance of the Druze regarding the civil war, the majority of the group has attempted to stay neutral, although religious leaders have sided with

President Bashar Al-Assad. Some Druze public intellectuals also did participate in

4 the original condemnation of Assad but did not call for participation in any uprising. However, some

Druze individuals have been reported to join the rebels. For the most part, rebel leaders have encountered difficulty in recruiting the Druze to their cause. The majority of Druze that are fighting in the conflict are on the side of the government. It is important to understand that the rebellion is multi faceted being comprised of several groups with different methods, goals, and ideologies. Some of the extremist groups such as Al-Nusra and Daesh view the conflict as a sectararian war and have attacked other religious groups in the countries. Thus, the current government is seen as the better choice in terms of safety and protection Druze villages have been subject to some of these attacks. (Schaebler

2013, Gambill 2013)

Thus far, there have already several challenges facing the Druze that have been revealed. One such challenge is the disagreement between the Druze community regarding their allegiance in the civil war. The Druze faith places heavy emphasis on strong social solidarity, a concept known as assabiya such as the finite amount of souls in the world, endogamy, and the fourth of hfiz al-ikhwan, or “protecting the brothers” amongst other things. (Obeid, 2006) Thus this creates tension regarding disagreement, especially in the exodus in joining the rebels and between the community and the clergy as social solidarity is compromised. This disagreement between the community and the clergy has great impact.

The Druze faith, and Druze communities in the Middle East are hierarchical in nature. Religious leader

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often are also leaders of the community as well. This may result in weakening of social solidarity, thus fracturing the religious identity of

5 the Syrian Druze.

Similarly, there is a challenge between the domination of either the Druze or Syrian identity of a

Druze individual. However, the greatest immediate challenge is the war itself. As aforementioned, there have been several attacks on Druze villages by several extremist groups. These attacks are not necessarily motivated by strategy or tactics regarding the war effort, but simple hostility towards other ethnic and religious groups. In response, Druze villages have formed militas to defend against rebel incursions. Unfortunately, it is difficult to ascertain precise estimates of Druze casualties; One estimate places Druze casualties of those that fought for the government at three hundred lives lost. (Gambill,

2013)

There has also been discontentment amongst the Syrian Druze community regarding their belief in reincarnation. Other are aware of this belief; Condescension is often a result. In response, the

Druze have become reluctant to explain reincarnation to outsiders since they worry that it would obscure the deeper meaning of their faith. (Bennett, 2006) The deep meaning of the faith is extremely important to the Druze given that it is meant to be a mystical religion with emphasis on spirits and , and other similar philosopicahl concepts. (Obeid, 2006) In this way, the belief in reincarnation has become a stigma in the eyes of both other Syrians and the Druze community.

Reincarnation has also been used to justify the continuous ban on inter faith marriage, which a point of contention amongst the community. (Bennett, 2006)This stigma regarding reincarnation is part of the general stigma that Druze face to the various

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6 differences in dogma between the orthodoxic Druze and orthopraxic .

North America

There have been no conspicuous signs of any persecution, systemic or individual, in the much smaller yet equally private Druze communities outside of the Middle East. However, there are greater instances of social strain in North America due to the struggle between assimilation into the new society and the attempts of maintenance of the Druze identity.

One questionnaire distributed to American revealed the frustration of a Druze parent towards this phenomenon: “Who is teaching our children about the Druze? Certainly not us parents.

Even if we attempt to undertake this difficult task it would be a classic case of leading the blind. Our intentions may be good but our ignorance stands in the way. So we stumble along... as our children slip further into other cultures and lose what little knowledge they have acquired.” (Obeid, 2006)

This sentiment is shared by other American Druze, as evidenced in a quantitative survey administered to Druze communities across the USA and Canada from 2008. Out of 65 responses, 42 respondents answered “Yes” to the question: “Do you think that the Druze community in USA or Canada is losing their identity?” (Radwan, 2009)

The identity crisis is spurred by the exclusive practices of the Druze faith and their minority status. Respondents of a qualitative study cited several issues when asked what challenges that the

Druze community faces: a lack of an appropriate educational method, lack of places of worship, the closed nature of the religion, and the pressure and diversity

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7 from American culture. Another question from this same study addressed the challenges that face each individual Druze. Younger respondents cited peer pressure as the greatest challenge. Pre- marital sex, drugs, alcohol, and dating were all issues of contention as they are forbidden by the Druze faith yet alluring to the youth, thus creating strain. (Radwan, 2009 and Obeid, 2006) Furthering compounding the strain is that the fact that these issues are taboo means there are no avenues of personal resolution amongst the community. Older respondents cited the “abundance of freedom in the

West.” A minority of the respondents cited no issues facing the community. (Radwan, 2009)

Thus, there is a dynamic of clashes occurring in the Druze community in North America. The youth cannot fully participate in North American culture due to their standing in the Druze community, but at the same time, they cannot develop their Druze identity due to the lack of sufficient religious infrastructure and resources. The older respondents have the opposing lamentation the lack of constraints. Both age groups have similar frustrations in the lack of development of Druze identity yet the motivations and causal factors differ in regard. Ultimately the challenges of being a Druze change in perspective for an individual, but the challenges are effectively the same regardless.

Israel

The also do not face any persecution, but there is a greater occurance of social strain in the Druze community as well as with other ethnic and religious groups in Israel.

An interview of fifty young Druze citizens in Israel revealed a clash in identity,

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similar to the North American Druze. The issue arose in the respondents' self-identification as “Arab;”

Although they used this label to describes themselves, they cited that they did not “feel fully Arab” or are as part of the Arab nation. The cause of this disconnect between Arab is cited as the view of the Druze status as a separate symbolic ethnic identity as per the roots of Druze identity in the religion. It has also been reported that the Druze do not consider themselves to be/are similar to Palestinians. (Nisan, 2009) This creates a challenge for the Druze through the difficulty of maintaining their identity, as well as integrating with other Arabs.

Another similar study in Israel was conducted on 52 Druze adolescents. The interviews of the respondents revealed five issues that compromise the communal structure of the Druze community.

They are the increasing appearance of material life, a lack of social unity, intensification of the individual and not the group, changes in norms and customs, and forgetting of religious principles.

Material life refers to a lack of focus on values and moral and religious education. Social unity refers to a alienation between friends, a lack of a sense of fraternity. Intensification of the the individual refers to the people only care about themselves. (Rukon, 2011)

As aforementioned, social solidarity is a major tenet of the Druze faith and a central factor in

Druze identity. Ultimately, in both these studies, the Druze identity is facing the challenge of maintaining itself. . The Druze faith places great emphasis on community, and if communal values are being uprooted then it becomes difficult to create that community. At the same time, the Israeli Druze find that they cannot fully integrate

9 into their other communities, thus creating a sense of transience. Therefore, the traditional

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religious Druze identity may have difficulty surviving as a result. It will more likely however survive as a label if this lack of religious infrastructure continues to be absent in addition to the evolution of community structure, much how like people in North American may identify themselves as “cultural

Christians”.

Lebanon

In Lebanon, the Druze face a challenge that is decidedly political in nature and unique in contrast to the Druze in other countries: systemic persecution by the government. The persecution stems from the conflict between the Druze and the policy of French colonialism as well as the tenuous relationship with the Lebanese Shi'ites, another group that has faced persecution within Lebanon which was catalyzed in the of 1975-1990. The persecution is not necessarily violent, but rather takes place as legal and social discrimination.

The direct issue that is facing the Druze in Lebanon is the question of political power and territory. The Druze continually seek to maintain the status quo on their autonomy in their regions that they populate. However, this has been threatened by the gains made by . In the Doha agreement of May 2008 which resolved the political crisis in Lebanon , Hezbollah gained veto powers in the decision making powers. This combined with the liquidation of what is known as the confessional system in the Lebanese political structures threw into jeopardy the political clout. (Hazran, 2013) Given that the Druze have prized their autonomy in their secluded communities, this

10 presents a challenge in their attempts to maintain that. The Druze may become further marginalized as a result.

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The Golan Heights Druze also face the challenge in maintaining their independence after the

Israeli annexation of the Golan Heights and the subsquent disagreement over sovereignty between

Israel and Syria. This conflict clashes with the traditional Druze loyalty to their home country. The Golan

Druze are less integrated and more seclusive. There has been a riot in October 2007 regarding Druze autonomy in the Golan heights. (Maher, 2009)

Conclusion

Ultimately, the challenges that the Druze faces changes on the basis of the political and social development of the country that they reside in. In places such as North America and Israel with developed economies and a greater emphasis on cultural integration, the threat to religious identity becomes more personal. Being Druze is the challenge in North Americawith the greater pressures from the dominant culture and lack of infrastructure whereas being a Druze in Syria and Lebanon is the challenge, given the threat of violence and persecution combined with the seclusion of ethnic and religious minorities.. There is a noted lack of research done on the Syrian and in contrast to other countries. It would be well served for more studies to be done.

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References

Bennett, Anee. 2006. “Reincarnation, Sect Unity, and Identity among the Druze.” Ethnology 45(2): 87- 104

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Gambill, Gary C. 2013. “Syrian Druze: Toward Defiant Neutrality.” Foreign Research Policy Institute

Hazran, Yusri. 2013. “Reconfessionalizing the Shi'ites and the Druzes: The Failure of Secularism in Lebanon.” British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies 42(2). 162-182

Maher, John. 2009. “Between Druze and Lebanon: The Druze Intifawda of October 2007.” Israel Affairs 15(4): 413-422

Nisan, Mordecai . 2010. "The Druze in Israel: Questions of Identity, Citizenship, and Patriotism." Middle East Journal: 64(4).

Obeid, Anis . 2006. The Druze & Their Faith in Tawhid. New York City, Syracuse University Press.

Radwan, Chad Kassem. 2009. “Assessing Druze identity and strategies for preserving Druze heritage in North America” MA. Thesis, Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

Rukon, Souad Abu. 2011. “Characteristics of Religious Identity amongst Druze Adolescents and How it is Designed.” Journal of Religious Education 59(1): 64-75

Schaebler, Birgit, 2013 “Constructing an Identity between Arabism and Islam: The Druzes in Syria.” The

Muslim World 103: 62-73

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