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Lebanon
Index
In 1987, more than half of Lebanese Druzes resided in rural
areas. Druzes were found in the Shuf, Al Matn, Hasbayya, and
Rashayya Regions; those who chose to live in an urban setting
resided in Beirut and its suburbs in confessionally marked
neighborhoods. The Druze elite consisted of large landowning
families.
The religion of the Druzes may be regarded as an offshoot of
Ismaili Islam. Historically it springs from the Fatimid caliph of
Egypt, Hakim (996-1021 A.D.), who considered himself the final
incarnation of God. His close associates and followers Hamza and
Darazi (hence the name Druze) spread the new doctrine among the
inhabitants of southern Lebanon, and founded among them a sect
which non-Druzes called "Druze" and Druzes called "Unitarian." The
Druzes believe that Hakim is not dead but absent and will return to
his people. Like the Ismailis, they also believe in emanations of
the deity, in supernatural hierarchies, and in the transmigration
of souls.
The Druzes are religiously divided into two groups. Those who
master the secrets and teaching of the sect and who respect its
dictates in their daily life, are referred to as uqqal (the
mature) and are regarded as the religious elite. Believers who are
not entitled to know the inner secrets of the religion and who do
not practice their religion are called juhhal (the
ignorant).
The leadership of the Druze community in Lebanon traditionally
has been shared by two factions: the Jumblatt (also seen as
Junblatt) and the Yazbak family confederations. The community has
preserved its cultural separateness by being closely knit socially.
The Druzes constituted about 7 percent of the population (153,000)
in 1987. Shaykh Muhammad Abu Shaqra was the highest Druze religious
authority in Lebanon in 1987, holding the title of Shaykh al
Aql.
Data as of December 1987
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