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Druze....
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Religion and group of people with somewhere between 350,000
(estimate of Western scholars) and 900,000 (figures as presented by the
Druze) members (our estimates put it at around 600,000 in the
Middle
East and nearly 700,000 all over the world), living in
Lebanon, Syria,
Israel, and Jordan, often in mountainous regions. There are also
important Druze communities abroad, living in Europe and USA.
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While the Druze are not regarded as
Muslims by other
Muslims, they regard themselves as Muslims as well as carriers of the core
of this religion. The origin of Druze is to a large extent from a group of Shi'is, the Isma'ilis, but they have diverged much, and the Koran does not
seem to be a part of their religion. The Druze call themselves muwahhidun,
'monotheists'.
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The theology of Druze religion is called hikma and its
main theme is that God incarnated himself in the Fatimid caliph al-Hakim,
who disappeared in 1021. While most Muslims believe he died in 1021, the
Druze disagree and believe that al-Hakim is awaiting to return to the
world in order to bring a new golden age to true believers.
Druze believe
in one God and claim that the qualities of God cannot be understood or
defined by humans. Al-Hakim is worshiped in Druze religion, he is called
'Our Lord' and his cruelties and eccentricities are all interpreted
symbolically. |
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But while God incarnated himself in al-Hakim in his
unity, other aspects of God can be incarnated in other human beings. These
aspects are represented with 5 superior ministers. Under the ministers one
finds three other groups: functionaries, preachers, and heads of
communities. The knowledge of this hierarchal system is the highest
knowledge in the Druze religion. Frequently we hear from sources about a
calf in Druze religion. It is believed that the calf is a central symbol
which represents the negative forces in the world. |
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