 Maqam Ain al-Zaman: The headquarters of the Druze community in Syria | |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 700,000[1] | |
| Languages | |
| Vernacular: Levantine (Syrian) Arabic | |
| Religion | |
| Druze faith |
Druze in Syria is a significant minority religion. According to The World Factbook, Druze make up about 3.2 percent of the population of Syria (as of 2010),[2][3] or approximately 700,000 persons, including residents of the Golan Heights.[4][5] The Druzites are concentrated in the rural, mountainous areas east and south of Damascus in the area known officially as the Jabal al-Druze.[6]
Druze is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Syria has the largest Druzite population in the world,[14] and many Syrian Druzites also living abroad, particularly in Venezuela, who have been living there for over the past hundred years.[15]
- ^ Irshaid, Faisal (19 June 2015). "Syria's Druze under threat as conflict spreads". BBC News.
- ^ "Syria". Central Intelligence Agency. 2 May 2023 – via CIA.gov.
- ^ The population of Syria dropped during the civil war, and the Druze were strongly affected.
- ^ http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/images/maps/Syria_Religion_Detailed_lg.png [bare URL image file]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
TheEconomistwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "The Druze and Assad: Strategic Bedfellows". The Washington Institute.
- ^ Pintak, Lawrence (2019). America & Islam: Soundbites, Suicide Bombs and the Road to Donald Trump. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 9781788315593.
- ^ Jonas, Margaret (2011). The Templar Spirit: The Esoteric Inspiration, Rituals and Beliefs of the Knights Templar. Temple Lodge Publishing. p. 83. ISBN 9781906999254.
[Druze] often they are not regarded as being Muslim at all, nor do all the Druze consider themselves as Muslim
- ^ "Are the Druze People Arabs or Muslims? Deciphering Who They Are". Arab America. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^ J. Stewart, Dona (2008). The Middle East Today: Political, Geographical and Cultural Perspectives. Routledge. p. 33. ISBN 9781135980795.
Most Druze do not consider themselves Muslim. Historically they faced much persecution and keep their religious beliefs secrets.
- ^ Yazbeck Haddad, Yvonne (2014). The Oxford Handbook of American Islam. Oxford University Press. p. 142. ISBN 9780199862634.
While they appear parallel to those of normative Islam, in the Druze religion they are different in meaning and interpretation. The religion is considered distinct from the Ismaili as well as from other Muslims belief and practice... Most Druze consider themselves fully assimilated in American society and do not necessarily identify as Muslims..
- ^ "Are the Druze People Arabs or Muslims? Deciphering Who They Are". Arab America. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 13 April 2020.
- ^
De McLaurin, Ronald (1979). The Political Role of Minority Groups in the Middle East. Praeger Special Studies. Praeger. p. 114. ISBN 9780030525964.
Theologically, one would have to conclude that the Druze are not Muslims. They do not accept the five pillars of Islam. In place of these principles the Druze have instituted the seven precepts noted above..
- ^ "Druze | History, Religion, & Facts". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
- ^ Khalifa, Mustafa (2013), "The impossible partition of Syria", Arab Reform Initiative: 6–7
© MMXXIII Rich X Search. We shall prevail. All rights reserved. Rich X Search