I like that you took the time to go through the druze, you mentioned al-Hakim, I actually made a video about him ruclips.net/video/oGEriZrbHjM/видео.html where I argue that his entire rulership is a lot more complex than a lot of people give him credit for.
Great video, since the Druze, Alawites, Alevis, Yazidis, Arab Christians, Assyrians, Jews, Copts, Zoroastrians and Turkmen are the most interesting people in the Middle East/Western Asia.
Yeah he does great work. One of the best channels on RUclips for this sort of thing. He's very academic in his research and presentation and stays away from personal conclusions or bias. He gets to the meat and bones of things and I love it.
@@sskspartan 1, it’s Muwahiddun not Muwahidden. 2. We’re not “from Isnotreal” our roots are Lebanon Syria Jordan and Palestine 3. There’s no conversions. Druze are descendants from bloodlines and status is rightfully determined as such. No mixing. Among the many other items in the video that are misleading.
I love how even a loaf of bread can meaningfully follow along and learn something. Your cadence is perfect- it never seems like we’re being “lectured at”. Sincere thanks from me and my crusted brethren!
When I visited Israel at 14 we stayed in a Druze village for some days. I couldn't really speak with them but did interact quite a bit with some merchants and they were kind and hilarious, very welcoming. I didn't know much at all about them or what made them Druzes in the first place. Thank you for explaining.
as an Israeli the Druz are very respected in our society, theyre a minority but they love the country and the country loves them i think the respect mostly comes from them being some of the only native people who serve in the army besides jews, protecting their land is a big value for them from what i understand
@@user-xu2qg2zf6u So they resemble the indigenous people. Yes, yes, their appearance says this. They do not have very, very white skin, unlike the indigenous people
This is amazing, I'm venezuelan and most of the arabs that I've met are druze. My best friend and his family are all druze and they are the coolest, nicest and smartest people that I've met. Druze are good people, very polite and nice.
I really appreciate how this video and Let’s Talk Religion’s Druze video are both the same information, but presented in such different points of view that it doesn’t become redundant to watch both. They’re both valuable informative videos about this ethno religious group. Excellent piece, I can’t wait for your new channel.
I'd love to see a video about Alawites, we're also a bit secretive about our faith, but there should be enough public info about us. I'm not personally religious and my family didn't really push that onto me so I'd love to learn more about our history and things like that.
(Not to mistake with the Alevis) Especially since they not so secretly rule Syria. They hold the top position in politics, including the president Bashar al-Assad, and the military. There's even a special force Alawite unit. During the fight against ISIS, an Alawite soldier left behind a very old, small book containing teachings of the Alawites (they called them Nusayrites) and it fell into the hands of an ISIS soldier. Something very rare, since the religion is usually practiced in secret and the foundation of it is usually transmitted from father to son. Before an Initiation practice (if I remember correctly) and not written down. I found the clip on RUclips. The ISIS soldier was reading parts of it which he found to be especially "shirk" (against tauhid and thereby unislamic). Like Ali being a deity. It was not an ISIS propaganda clip. But by a soldier standing in the ruins of a position recently given up by the Syrian army. So it appeared to be real. I'd love to have to seen/read the whole book! Edit: I found another clip where some else present the book! ruclips.net/user/shortsiqypA9JBsx8?si=9-35mkV0ZMZhkIK-
Jesus is God the religion Druidism was inspired by Islam. The Gospels were written by Jesus eye witnesses Matthew , Mark , Luke and John with several claims Jesus called himself God.
The Druze religion is really interesting. Seekers of Unity recently made a couple videos about the Druze people and they actually went to the celebration at Jethro's tomb. It was really fascinating and inspiring and I highly recommend watching it if anyone wants to learn more.
@@TheWorldTeacher Hmm well I would say that I am a panentheist. I do believe in God, though not the typical modern American Christian concept of God. The reason is simple. I know God. I've seen God. I've experienced God. Up until that day, however, I did not believe, I could not believe. I still don't believe. I know. 😉
Thank you for spread knowledge of little known religions as well as the larger ones. I’m an atheist now but I continue to be interested in religion and history. I firmly believe that we must learn from history and other cultures to further our chances of making our world a better place.
I go to university in Israel and my neighbors are Druze from the Golan heights. They've become close friends of mine and are very dear people. They have a special place in my heart. ❤️
Haha nice! I was hoping to see a Druze video sometime. Before watching the video, I think I remember them being described as a Gnostic version of Islam while they happened to really like the South American Yerba Mate tea (which I happen to love drinking too, lol).
The neo-Platonic belief structure of the Druze seems very similar, in my mind, to Maimonides’s Guide for the Perplexed. It’s obviously not a 1 to 1, but the origins of both the Druze and Maimonides are roughly contemporaneous- Maimonides lived just over a century after the religion was founded, so it wouldn’t be suprising if neo-Platonic and Druze influence was still around in Egypt, where Maimonides spent most of his life.
Even the term “emanations” appear in Kabbalah, God is present in the world through eleven (one is hidden) “emanations” that constitute his “body” (which is “existence” or the entirety of the Universe, very similar to Tawhid)
@TheGuiltsOfUs yes, it is, and a very recent religion. You can't just incorporate stuff from different faiths like they did, when these religions all constradict each other. Yet some Druze genius here in the comment section said that they are the original.
Waited for this very long)) From my experience, Druze people of northern Israel are very kind and hospitable, but if someone hurts or humiliates their people, they will respond very strongly. Middle-Eastern tribalism is pretty much alive and kicking around here. Their villages are usually in the mountainous regions, for defence purposes. They do have a big difference between initiated and non-initiated people. Regular "secular" Druze don't know much about their practices, but still marry within the community. Observant sheikhs know a lot, but won't tell you anything=)) Respect these people very much.
I definitely understand why they’d be tribalistic. They have been oppressed throughout history and I think that there’s nothing wrong with them being defensive of their communities.
Im a Druze I'm American but my Sitti which means grandmother is from majdal shams which is a village in Golan Heights. I'm very very proud to be Siri and to be Druze.
I wouldn't say so. Mormons often criticize creedal Christians for having too much Greek or Neoplatonic influence in their religion, while the Druze are a product of Neoplatonic influence on Islam. Mormons believe that intelligence and matter always existed, and that creation was God organizing that intelligence and matter into the universe, in contrast to the creedal Christian and Neoplatonist belief that God is the origin of everything, including matter. Mormons also believe that God has a physical body, and that human souls and spirits are a finer or more subtle form of physical matter, rather than being independent of it. The Druze also are a closed religion that does not accept conversion or intermarriage, in contrast to Mormons who are evangelical.
When traveling through northern Israel about 10 years ago, our tour guide pointed out some Druze who were walking and noted their unique dress. It was the first time I had ever heard of the group. I'm glad to finally get a bit more information on them.
Excellent exposé on this little known group. Based on your description of their history and religion, it sounds as if they have a solid belief system that could have universal appeal. I look forward to more on this topic.
It's interesting that, apart from believing in reincarnation, the Druze use the same 5 colors that are used in Tibetan Bon religion (the so called "five pure lights"), where they are also emanations (but in this case of emptiness).
AND the same colors you see in more contemporary forms of Western Esotericism; such as certain symbols among certain Masonic bodies, e.g. the Order of the Eastern Star.
actually secretive reasons, but some come from the region to our religious temple which is an actual school to us, that shows suspect with the contact of ours even when miles and miles apart us, we do share a lot, not sure if we're the same though, it's actually interesting.
I first became aware of the Druze during reporting of war and civil war in Lebanon. They were portrayed a tough fighters dedicated to independence of the community, rather than partisans who were siding with factions fighting for civil authority. They have interested me since. Thanks for filling in some gaps here.
Now THAT is an interesting story! I wish you would do a RUclips documentart talk with power point slides showing the pictures if you have any. That would be really cool and it really hasn't been well documented outside of the Arab workd
@@ZeeHilal they are tough fighters because they have 3 important things. Their lands, their women and holy sites. They fight to the end if any is a threat and never leave their lands!
Druze are the real chosen ones. Jesus was one of their prophet that was spreading the religion of Druze and like many other Druze prophets that were letting others know that even if you think you are bad and have done bad you can cleanse yourself and join god and Druze. Christians use those in a wrong way and a priest can wash your sins if you confess as if they are god!
@@JoanneArc-or9srlmao then stop bombing them druze muslims and Christians in syria when you're not even in a war with them. If you're not that unhinged
druze as society truly magnificent group, strong families and balanced state of mind. i admire their way of beeing great part in any country they live in ( as a Jewish Israeli i see them as brothers) by the way what's make them similar to Judaism that the faith does not want to convert the one who don't want
Thank you for putting this out, I was shocked by the misleading of OTHER videos, but this video is way more accurate than those and actually proves our history, thanks again.
Wow, this was a fantastic episode with so much accurate information. There is a lot of secrecy in the Druze religion; even I, as a Druze, don't know about it! 😂
Is there a plan to have full captions? I would like to share this video with my hard-of-hearing friend and the current captions are sometimes inaccurate.
I worked at kibbutz El Rom in the Golan Heights back in the early 00's (I'm South African btw). I visited the local Druze village near the kibbutz and I gotta say we went for the fabulous street food! I had no idea they have links to the Abrahamic faiths! Really enjoyed the informative video! Just subbed!
You worked at a kibbutz and you're South African? You must be Israeli as well. Aren't all jews Israeli citizens first then wherever they come from second?
@@olliefoxx7165bro. People from all over the world are coming to work in kibbutz. Well a lot of them are Americans but not all of them and not all of them are Jewish. Mostly just people that want to contribute to Israel
@@Sgr667 Wow. People from all over the world showing up to "contribute" to Israel. Working for free to give the fruits of all their labor to one of the richest nations on the planet. The single biggest recepient of US aid in the world. I wish we had random people showing up in our country to "contribute" to America. Israel is such an amazing place that even non-jews work for free to contribute to it. Simply an unbelievable place.
@@olliefoxx7165 I answered your question. There was no need for sarcasm.dude. and yes. It is called volunteer work. Something you probably never heard of.
@@Sgr667 I know what it is and I used sarcasm to politely push back on a narrative. Jews from various nations all over the world go to Israel to contribute toward their shared/one true homeland. It's what unites them all together. Nothing wrong with that. I wish people in my country put their nation first. I think it's admirable.
AH THANK YOU SIR! GOD BLESS YOU! TO BE HONEST, THERE'S TIMES WHEN I THINK I CAN RELATE BETTER TO THE DRUZE THINKING ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS. I'VE HAD NO REAL DEEP STUDY ABOUT THIS BUT I'VE ONLY ENCOUNTERED "UNEXPLAINED OCCURENCES" & LISTENING TO YOU I AM AMAZED. MORE POWER TO YOU SIR, YOUR SERVICE TO HUMANITY'S EDUCATION IS APRECIATED BY MY WHOLE BEING. MAY GOD KEEP YOU STRONG & ABLE. MAY GODLY WISDOM LIGHT & GUIDE YOU THROUGH ALL YOUR DAYS AHEAD. TCARE KINDLY PRAY SIR, MAY GODLY WISDOM LIGHT & GUIDE WORLD LEADERS, THE WORLD OF NATIONS, ALL OF HUMANITY, MAY THE HUMAN RACE ACHIEVE HARMONY IN DIVERSITY, PEACE & PROSPERITY.
The belief in sort of prophet-like figures in other religions as well as their own is an interesting concept, one I think also exists in Ahmadiyya islam. Hope this channel does a video about that group as well at some point.
@@yurichtube1162 It's also interesting that, to my understanding, groups as divergent as *Druze* are recognized as muslims by some sunni (at least as stated in one Fatwa from Al-Azhar in Egypt), while the Ahmadiyya community who to their core identify as muslims, are not.
@@supremelegal Okay, if you say so. I have no such credentials, so I'll take your word that that is the case presently. I was going off of a declaration to that effect made in 1959. But if it isn't authoritative in the present, fair enough
Very interesting video. One aspect of Druze culture you left out was the tendency to be very loyal to the government of the country they reside in. Many Druze serve in the Israel Defense Force (some at very high officer levels) and might end up fighting (possibly related) Druze serving in the Syrian or Lebanese military.
NOO WAIT we would never do that .. yes it's true but the part that states that we would fight each other for political things is wrong .. cause you would be kicked out of the community if you do so
I had never heard of the Druze until the 12 children were killed. I have been investigating since. I can now see why they love living in Israel. Israel allows all people to live in peace and follow their own religion in peace. They can also join as much as they want in Israel life if they want. They sound like amazing people and condemn violence. Wishing them much peace
@@Barsaviakall I knew about was reincarnation and the secrecy for survival. Also, I had met some Druze friends over the years. They were friendly but stick to themselves for the most part (at least in my experience).
Great stuff. Kinda amazing to think the druze today are druze only because 1000 years ago their ancestors decided to become druze in a small window of opportunity.
@@YaverMemolibaba are you from Latin America? There was a great migration wave from ottoman Syria to the americas in the early 19th century , could be that
@@YaverMemolibaba oh! I think the DNA test got it reversed, I believe you shared the same ancesstory as some durzi families in the Levant who are originally for turkey/ cacusse (see arslan family) and later became druz
As an atheist raised Catholic I must say I love your videos man. Not for some sort of cathartic confirmation bias, but because it's so interesting to learn about the histories of different cultures from a religious perspective even not believing in any spirituality myself. I love traveling and learning about other cultures so this is almost like taking a short 17minute plane trip to visit this specific culture, I recommend you to everyone I know religious or not!
What about inherited diseases in the Druze community. We have found in many closed societies like the Amish and others, the gene pool is much smaller so recessive genes are more common to manifest in a higher birth rate of certain disabilities or illnesses. Do the Druze practice any kind of screening to see if both prospective spouses are carriers?
The colors on the star atop the building first show differ in their arrangement from the graphic you later show. Is this significant? Does it matter how the colors are arranged, or is this a mistake? Are there differing notions of how the colors and the principles they represent should be arranged?
Green takes precedence. Every other color's positioning depends on the emphasis put on it by the specific strain of the Druze community who made the star. You can actually see this in the Druze flag too. That's why green is in the form of a triangle at the base with the other colors extending out from it.
all the times that I have discussed this with Druze figures they defined the issue of marriage differently. they have no ban on marriages to non-druze people, but due to the "closed to converts" nature of the religion, any kids born from a marriage to a non-Druze - will not be recognized as Druze and can't 'convert' into the religion/nation. that being said, they maintain family connections with them no mater who they marry.
Someone in the comments said "a reformed Islam" and i agree. I worked with one of them and no matter how he explained it i still saw it just as a sect of Islam ...but they don't like being associated with Islam .
we dont accept the 5 main pillars of islam and we dont pray 5 times a day like them. women dont need to cover their hair, and men can only marry one woman. tbh as a druze i find it similar to islam only that we celebrate eid al adha and the faith recognizes muhammad as a prophet (this is still debatable)
Nice one :) I was wondering if you have any plans on making videos that focus more on the theoretical side of religious studies? There is hardly any content that deals with these topics on RUclips, which is such a shame :D
I asked for this video a long time ago, I doubt this was uploaded because of that comment but I’m so glad you made this! There seems to be sparse information online about them
Hi there, firstly: nice clip and a nice informative channel in general. I end up up here occasionally an always find the shared information infomative in one way or the other, not essentially due to new facts or so but the overviews are presented in a pleasantly compact way without being too consice (searchterms are indeed provided). 👍 Anyhow, at about 14:40 the term 'transmigration of the soul' is mentioned. I am aware of the fact that, apart from the Druzes, the Yazidis c.q. Sharfadin-believers also believe in some variation of soul transmigration but there are two points of attention here: Sharfadin are indeed thought to be partially non-Abramahic and of some older Persian spiritual extraction with an ancient Vedic background (which makes the whole idea less alien to their tradition). Furthermore other Yarsanis, at least as far as I have understood, also tend towards the belief in some form of reincarnation. Secondly it should be mentioned that certain Judaic traditions also explicitly adhere some idea of soul transmigration, mainly due to the qabbalistic school of thought; therein it is mentioned as "Gilgul ha-Nemshahot". The whole notion of transmigration of the soul (or certain aspects of it) is apparently less uncommon then 'we' seem to have been assuming and is always attributed to traditions that are either considered ancient and pagan or Dhramic, erroneously so it seems.
It is interesting that the Druze seem to characterize mind as pre-dating soul, in a theistic-cosmic sense. I wonder how common this is in theorized models of soul across different religions and philosophies. Indeed from the Judeo-Christian sense it feels like there is often a significant overlap between the two concepts.
Curious to know if Rob Morris took the star color pattern for the eastern star organization. That is what pulled me into this video. I remembered that symbol as a child and was curious if I would finally learn something about what those meetings were actually about.
Thanks from making this video. I live in Jerusalem and have been so curious about the Druze. One question. If they subscribe to the idea that they are descended from Jethro who lived int he time of Moses but the religious was sonly stared about 1000 or 1200 years ago, how do they consider themselves Yethro's descendants. There are thousands of years in the gap.
Yes for the podcast! Can't wait! Also, I couldn't help thinking of Al-Tanukhi as a plumber with a a tail flying around. No, I'm not 12, sadly ha. Wonderful work as always!
There are 7 to 10 million Druze people are there in the middle east they don't declare their faith until the age of 45, also fear of persecution by main stream Islam.
Wait so Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is a "mad ruler" for destroying a church? While he banned slavery and also helped rebuilt Jewish and Christian holy places later on and even allow them to revert back to their old religion (after having been forced to convert before)? I wonder who set the narrative of him early on...
His enemies and the fact is that he was a very complex character, I have even made a video about him ruclips.net/video/oGEriZrbHjM/видео.html watch it and please subscribe if you liked it!
You hinted them being apart from muslims, is that so? since they somewhat descended from ismailism, but very different from any other islamic sect ... i had druze friends (im from Jordan) one who memorised the Quran, and they took Islam classes and identified as Muslims too, and prayed in mosques at school, is that just part of blending in the community? would Druze in israel feel differently? i would be interested to know what Druze think of that matter, it looks complicated, also if something not touched on is if they have differents prayers or the same 5 prayers in islam, along with the other rituals like fasting, zakat ... etc
For long-form interviews, subscribe to my second channel here!: ruclips.net/video/UdzOIBdYbXc/видео.html
yo do video on green man ty
ruclips.net/video/BHTbJqMaFAw/видео.html
I like that you took the time to go through the druze, you mentioned al-Hakim, I actually made a video about him ruclips.net/video/oGEriZrbHjM/видео.html where I argue that his entire rulership is a lot more complex than a lot of people give him credit for.
i know of some druze marry outside of their religion. George Clooney wife most famous example.
Great video, since the Druze, Alawites, Alevis, Yazidis, Arab Christians, Assyrians, Jews, Copts, Zoroastrians and Turkmen are the most interesting people in the Middle East/Western Asia.
As one of The Drews I’ve always related to the Druze
Funny, you don't look Drewish.
STOP 😂
🤡
Based
What drew you to that conclusion?
As a Druze I’m very impressed with this video. Everything I hear is accurate. Thank you
Yeah he does great work. One of the best channels on RUclips for this sort of thing. He's very academic in his research and presentation and stays away from personal conclusions or bias. He gets to the meat and bones of things and I love it.
I’m not sure if you’re Druze, but you mustn’t be uqqal if you think this is “correct”
@@farestimani9204 please enlighten us
@@sskspartan
1, it’s Muwahiddun not Muwahidden.
2. We’re not “from Isnotreal” our roots are Lebanon Syria Jordan and Palestine
3. There’s no conversions. Druze are descendants from bloodlines and status is rightfully determined as such. No mixing.
Among the many other items in the video that are misleading.
@@farestimani9204 nah actually most of it are correct and accurate
I love how even a loaf of bread can meaningfully follow along and learn something. Your cadence is perfect- it never seems like we’re being “lectured at”. Sincere thanks from me and my crusted brethren!
@No pretty sure that's an elaborate joke
The shellular sea bois are with you bread lad
As one of the Druze, I thank you so much for this video and all these accurate information about us.
How accurate?
When I visited Israel at 14 we stayed in a Druze village for some days. I couldn't really speak with them but did interact quite a bit with some merchants and they were kind and hilarious, very welcoming. I didn't know much at all about them or what made them Druzes in the first place. Thank you for explaining.
Your so sweet! I can see why they liked you!
as an Israeli the Druz are very respected in our society, theyre a minority but they love the country and the country loves them
i think the respect mostly comes from them being some of the only native people who serve in the army besides jews, protecting their land is a big value for them from what i understand
@@noammkw3770Protecting their land from the Khazari and Europeans, says Britain
@@noammkw3770 Why would the Palestinians serve in the IDF? That would be like Jews serving in the Wehrmacht.
@@user-xu2qg2zf6u So they resemble the indigenous people. Yes, yes, their appearance says this. They do not have very, very white skin, unlike the indigenous people
This is amazing, I'm venezuelan and most of the arabs that I've met are druze. My best friend and his family are all druze and they are the coolest, nicest and smartest people that I've met. Druze are good people, very polite and nice.
Yes, but they're probably the most rare religion of all arabs.
I've met a few living in Isreal. Very decent ppl.
@ in Venezuela most of them are Druze, it was odd when I found out I thought they were Muslims
They seem like blessed, nomadic people
I really appreciate how this video and Let’s Talk Religion’s Druze video are both the same information, but presented in such different points of view that it doesn’t become redundant to watch both. They’re both valuable informative videos about this ethno religious group. Excellent piece, I can’t wait for your new channel.
Good Girl! 👌
Are you VEGAN? 🌱
Yup I agree
Ethnoreligious group? We’re a distinct indigenous group, not “ethnoreligious”
@@farestimani9204 How do you distinguish between the terms?
@@chendaforest ethnoreligious is a belief, we’re actually distinct and from our lands. This is factual not perceived to be true.
I'd love to see a video about Alawites, we're also a bit secretive about our faith, but there should be enough public info about us. I'm not personally religious and my family didn't really push that onto me so I'd love to learn more about our history and things like that.
Better stay to original Islam, then form other religions involving unusual thinkings of some philosophers
(Not to mistake with the Alevis)
Especially since they not so secretly rule Syria.
They hold the top position in politics, including the president Bashar al-Assad, and the military. There's even a special force Alawite unit.
During the fight against ISIS, an Alawite soldier left behind a very old, small book containing teachings of the Alawites (they called them Nusayrites) and it fell into the hands of an ISIS soldier. Something very rare, since the religion is usually practiced in secret and the foundation of it is usually transmitted from father to son. Before an Initiation practice (if I remember correctly) and not written down.
I found the clip on RUclips. The ISIS soldier was reading parts of it which he found to be especially "shirk" (against tauhid and thereby unislamic). Like Ali being a deity.
It was not an ISIS propaganda clip. But by a soldier standing in the ruins of a position recently given up by the Syrian army. So it appeared to be real.
I'd love to have to seen/read the whole book!
Edit: I found another clip where some else present the book!
ruclips.net/user/shortsiqypA9JBsx8?si=9-35mkV0ZMZhkIK-
Jesus is God the religion Druidism was inspired by Islam. The Gospels were written by Jesus eye witnesses Matthew , Mark , Luke and John with several claims Jesus called himself God.
Do you call Ali ibn Abu talib god incarnate?
I watched one about the Alawites, that's when the algorithm suggested this video.
The Druze religion is really interesting. Seekers of Unity recently made a couple videos about the Druze people and they actually went to the celebration at Jethro's tomb. It was really fascinating and inspiring and I highly recommend watching it if anyone wants to learn more.
Are you a THEIST? 🤔
If so, what are the reasons for your BELIEF in God? 🤓
@@TheWorldTeacher Hmm well I would say that I am a panentheist. I do believe in God, though not the typical modern American Christian concept of God.
The reason is simple. I know God. I've seen God. I've experienced God.
Up until that day, however, I did not believe, I could not believe. I still don't believe. I know. 😉
@@justinbirkholz, you have SEEN God?
Did you get his EMAIL address? ;)
@@TheWorldTeacher Yeah, why?
@@mrrec0very956, Are you VEGAN? 🌱
As a druze im happy to see our religion getting know by others since there aren't many druze in the world
Hello. I want to learn more about your religion, i find it very interesting
@@MoukhlesDerbal I'm glad 😄,I'll be happy to answer any questions I know the response off, what would you learn more about?
@@iRxyanMD thank you. Firstly, do you guys consider yourself Muslims?
@@MoukhlesDerbal no we do not
@@iRxyanMD Do you rever greek philosophers?
Thank you for spread knowledge of little known religions as well as the larger ones. I’m an atheist now but I continue to be interested in religion and history. I firmly believe that we must learn from history and other cultures to further our chances of making our world a better place.
As a Druze from Lebanon I appreciate you wanting to know about our culture
How can you be atheist with such great power in this world? God is with us you got to find him inside you my friend
@robray6721 i searched for god inside myself and thought I felt it. Turns out it was just indigestion
I am Christian and I respect your opinion. I also love learning about other cultures and religions.
I go to university in Israel and my neighbors are Druze from the Golan heights. They've become close friends of mine and are very dear people. They have a special place in my heart. ❤️
I first learned about the Druze on a trip to Israel in 1990. The tour bus went to the Tel Dan reserve and drove through a Druze community on the way.
They also participate in defending Israel from terrorism.
@@alveirtus1501 Israël is thé terrorisme
@@alveirtus1501 yes they make excellent second class citizens
@@joeg4609What are you talking about? They serve in the military, which means they’re equal.
Haha nice! I was hoping to see a Druze video sometime. Before watching the video, I think I remember them being described as a Gnostic version of Islam while they happened to really like the South American Yerba Mate tea (which I happen to love drinking too, lol).
The neo-Platonic belief structure of the Druze seems very similar, in my mind, to Maimonides’s Guide for the Perplexed. It’s obviously not a 1 to 1, but the origins of both the Druze and Maimonides are roughly contemporaneous- Maimonides lived just over a century after the religion was founded, so it wouldn’t be suprising if neo-Platonic and Druze influence was still around in Egypt, where Maimonides spent most of his life.
Even the term “emanations” appear in Kabbalah, God is present in the world through eleven (one is hidden) “emanations” that constitute his “body” (which is “existence” or the entirety of the Universe, very similar to Tawhid)
The Druze faith is just a hodgepodge of ancient superstitions.
@TheGuiltsOfUs yes, it is, and a very recent religion. You can't just incorporate stuff from different faiths like they did, when these religions all constradict each other. Yet some Druze genius here in the comment section said that they are the original.
Waited for this very long)) From my experience, Druze people of northern Israel are very kind and hospitable, but if someone hurts or humiliates their people, they will respond very strongly. Middle-Eastern tribalism is pretty much alive and kicking around here. Their villages are usually in the mountainous regions, for defence purposes. They do have a big difference between initiated and non-initiated people. Regular "secular" Druze don't know much about their practices, but still marry within the community. Observant sheikhs know a lot, but won't tell you anything=))
Respect these people very much.
I definitely understand why they’d be tribalistic. They have been oppressed throughout history and I think that there’s nothing wrong with them being defensive of their communities.
In 2013, they cut off a non-Druze guy's genitalia for messing with a Druze girl 😂 (in Lebanon) FAFO
Im a Druze I'm American but my Sitti which means grandmother is from majdal shams which is a village in Golan Heights. I'm very very proud to be Siri and to be Druze.
RIP to all the people who passed away from the majdal shams massacre. If you havd any loved ones there I hope theyre ok
you are welcome in majdal anytime
I'm a jew from Australia with Persian Heritage I'm so sorry for your losses recently .
@@satiricgames2129 converted Persian...do DNA test 😅
@@satiricgames2129 yeah aslong as u arent with israel
My Dad once said that the Druze are to Islam what Mormonism is to Christianity.
I think it's more like Druze is to Islam as Christianity is to Judaism - there are many parallels there
@@megazekemeister good analogy there😄
I’m Muslim and I’d say ahmadiya are more Mormon like. Both are heretical and not Islam.
@abdel-qudus1143 whoaaa, shia do not worship ali RA. ik you werent trying to say that but that's what you implied
I wouldn't say so. Mormons often criticize creedal Christians for having too much Greek or Neoplatonic influence in their religion, while the Druze are a product of Neoplatonic influence on Islam.
Mormons believe that intelligence and matter always existed, and that creation was God organizing that intelligence and matter into the universe, in contrast to the creedal Christian and Neoplatonist belief that God is the origin of everything, including matter. Mormons also believe that God has a physical body, and that human souls and spirits are a finer or more subtle form of physical matter, rather than being independent of it.
The Druze also are a closed religion that does not accept conversion or intermarriage, in contrast to Mormons who are evangelical.
When I was a high school student, I lived with a Druze family near Haifa for a few days.
When traveling through northern Israel about 10 years ago, our tour guide pointed out some Druze who were walking and noted their unique dress. It was the first time I had ever heard of the group. I'm glad to finally get a bit more information on them.
North of Palestine
Northern Israel is really nice especially some of the older cities. I met a Druze man at some sort of academic function once, really charismatic guy.
@@اغسليديكياهذا actually I own the Levant now. It's now called religion land
@@ericmoralesgomez6513 I'm a ateist living in Israel, sorry, religion land, dear president. Please don't exile me🤣
Also how I learned of them.
Excellent exposé on this little known group. Based on your description of their history and religion, it sounds as if they have a solid belief system that could have universal appeal. I look forward to more on this topic.
Very close to muslims way of living just different traditions and beliefs
I remember the Druze well. During my time with the UN peacekeeping, I found them the most reliable ally.
It's interesting that, apart from believing in reincarnation, the Druze use the same 5 colors that are used in Tibetan Bon religion (the so called "five pure lights"), where they are also emanations (but in this case of emptiness).
I wonder if there’s any reason for that?
Three prime colours plus green and white.
AND the same colors you see in more contemporary forms of Western Esotericism; such as certain symbols among certain Masonic bodies, e.g. the Order of the Eastern Star.
actually secretive reasons, but some come from the region to our religious temple which is an actual school to us, that shows suspect with the contact of ours even when miles and miles apart us, we do share a lot, not sure if we're the same though, it's actually interesting.
I first became aware of the Druze during reporting of war and civil war in Lebanon. They were portrayed a tough fighters dedicated to independence of the community, rather than partisans who were siding with factions fighting for civil authority. They have interested me since. Thanks for filling in some gaps here.
Now THAT is an interesting story! I wish you would do a RUclips documentart talk with power point slides showing the pictures if you have any. That would be really cool and it really hasn't been well documented outside of the Arab workd
@@ZeeHilal they are tough fighters because they have 3 important things. Their lands, their women and holy sites. They fight to the end if any is a threat and never leave their lands!
Druze are the real chosen ones. Jesus was one of their prophet that was spreading the religion of Druze and like many other Druze prophets that were letting others know that even if you think you are bad and have done bad you can cleanse yourself and join god and Druze. Christians use those in a wrong way and a priest can wash your sins if you confess as if they are god!
@@robray6721 Yeah,yeah, you also believe in constant number of renicarnating souls which contradicts reality that Human population is ever increasing.
@@robray6721Druze wasnt around when Jesus was. thats a lie.
I love the Druze. They are such sweet people.
I wish we could know more about their theology.
🤗❤🔥
Thank you for this explanation of our faith and its connection to the rest of the communities, even if it detracts from a lot of information🙏🏻
Due to recent events in Syria, I have become obsessed with the country's ethnic diversity, so this video came to me at the perfect time. Thanks a lot!
famed radio DJ Casey Kasem whom was also voice of Shaggy Roberts from Scooby Doo was a member of the Druze
Used to visit their village in north Israel, always loved going there with the family
jewish?
@@K-newborn the jews get along with the druze mate. FS. Not everyone is unhinged like the southern lebanese and palestinians, iranian government.
@@JoanneArc-or9srlmao then stop bombing them druze muslims and Christians in syria when you're not even in a war with them. If you're not that unhinged
@@JoanneArc-or9sr unhinged? that's exactly the term "Israel" should be described with.
@ColomaEughari it's a bot bro isreali hasbara in overdrive since they started there ghetto liquidation
I really enjoyed this video. I'm very interested in all religion and long wanted to know more about the Druze. Thank you. 🙏🕊🌹💞
druze as society truly magnificent group, strong families and balanced state of mind. i admire their way of beeing great part in any country they live in ( as a Jewish Israeli i see them as brothers) by the way what's make them similar to Judaism that the faith does not want to convert the one who don't want
Do good that they killed 100 people on q village in Lebanon
Thank you for putting this out, I was shocked by the misleading of OTHER videos, but this video is way more accurate than those and actually proves our history, thanks again.
I have long wanted to be informed about Druze. Thank you I found this vlog.
Wonderful people. I’m an Israeli Christian and we have tremendous respect for them. Love the Druze ❤
no respect for someone who supports israel
Why do you hate Israel so much antisemitic boy?
Thanks!
I was waiting a long time for a Druze people video ❤
Wow, this was a fantastic episode with so much accurate information. There is a lot of secrecy in the Druze religion; even I, as a Druze, don't know about it! 😂
Druze are gorgeous people! Israel is highly value their Druze population. They are survivors and kind at the same time.
How?
@@Aiden_MuslimWhat are you asking?
@chickensalad3535 Syria has the largest Druze population then followed by Lebanon then Israel
A superb video production. Very informative. Thank you.
Great video as always, the mostly unknown and somewhat esoteric middle eastern religions are incredibly interesting
Is there a plan to have full captions? I would like to share this video with my hard-of-hearing friend and the current captions are sometimes inaccurate.
I worked at kibbutz El Rom in the Golan Heights back in the early 00's (I'm South African btw). I visited the local Druze village near the kibbutz and I gotta say we went for the fabulous street food! I had no idea they have links to the Abrahamic faiths! Really enjoyed the informative video! Just subbed!
You worked at a kibbutz and you're South African? You must be Israeli as well. Aren't all jews Israeli citizens first then wherever they come from second?
@@olliefoxx7165bro. People from all over the world are coming to work in kibbutz. Well a lot of them are Americans but not all of them and not all of them are Jewish. Mostly just people that want to contribute to Israel
@@Sgr667 Wow. People from all over the world showing up to "contribute" to Israel. Working for free to give the fruits of all their labor to one of the richest nations on the planet. The single biggest recepient of US aid in the world. I wish we had random people showing up in our country to "contribute" to America. Israel is such an amazing place that even non-jews work for free to contribute to it. Simply an unbelievable place.
@@olliefoxx7165 I answered your question. There was no need for sarcasm.dude. and yes. It is called volunteer work. Something you probably never heard of.
@@Sgr667 I know what it is and I used sarcasm to politely push back on a narrative. Jews from various nations all over the world go to Israel to contribute toward their shared/one true homeland. It's what unites them all together. Nothing wrong with that. I wish people in my country put their nation first. I think it's admirable.
They are among the best and most educated in the Arab world❤❤
Thank you 😄
Thank you for this. The Druz have always been a subject of great interest to me. Terrific topic, like all of your videos!
AH THANK YOU SIR! GOD BLESS YOU! TO BE HONEST, THERE'S TIMES WHEN I THINK I CAN RELATE BETTER TO THE DRUZE THINKING ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS. I'VE HAD NO REAL DEEP STUDY ABOUT THIS BUT I'VE ONLY ENCOUNTERED "UNEXPLAINED OCCURENCES" & LISTENING TO YOU I AM AMAZED. MORE POWER TO YOU SIR, YOUR SERVICE TO HUMANITY'S EDUCATION IS APRECIATED BY MY WHOLE BEING. MAY GOD KEEP YOU STRONG & ABLE. MAY GODLY WISDOM LIGHT & GUIDE YOU THROUGH ALL YOUR DAYS AHEAD. TCARE KINDLY PRAY SIR, MAY GODLY WISDOM LIGHT & GUIDE WORLD LEADERS, THE WORLD OF NATIONS, ALL OF HUMANITY, MAY THE HUMAN RACE ACHIEVE HARMONY IN DIVERSITY, PEACE & PROSPERITY.
Love this channel tremendously..Top Tier Scholarship.
💚❤️💛💙⚪
" Druze and proud "
Very excited about the upcoming podcast!
The belief in sort of prophet-like figures in other religions as well as their own is an interesting concept, one I think also exists in Ahmadiyya islam. Hope this channel does a video about that group as well at some point.
Ahmadi's are seen as heretics by sunni and shia muslims. One of the few rare occasions they agree with each other.
@@yurichtube1162 It's also interesting that, to my understanding, groups as divergent as *Druze* are recognized as muslims by some sunni (at least as stated in one Fatwa from Al-Azhar in Egypt), while the Ahmadiyya community who to their core identify as muslims, are not.
@@vallraffs no Muslim authority accepts them as Muslim and i am a Muslim who studied Arabic and Islamic theology i know what i am talking about
@@supremelegal Okay, if you say so. I have no such credentials, so I'll take your word that that is the case presently. I was going off of a declaration to that effect made in 1959. But if it isn't authoritative in the present, fair enough
@@supremelegal What counts as Muslim to you? Accusations of apostacy or being a nonbeliever are shockingly common in the Muslim world.
Thank you very informative. Prior to your video I knew very little of this Faith.
im israeli and my best friend from uni is a druze
some of the best ppl i ever meet
I'm seriously impressed that you can pronounce these names, Dr. Henry. I love your videos.
Honestly his Arabic pronunciation isn't very good.
@@Salsmachev yeah, like HACK-ihm should be huh-KEEM
Not really tho
Can you do a video on the Quakers? It's a very interesting faith group with a very rich history
As Lone Star once said, "Oh great. That's all we needed. A Druish princess."
Lol
I'm From Venezuela and have seen that star in my hometown, never knew what it meant until now
maracaibo?
Excellent work. Thank you so much. ❤
Very interesting video. One aspect of Druze culture you left out was the tendency to be very loyal to the government of the country they reside in. Many Druze serve in the Israel Defense Force (some at very high officer levels) and might end up fighting (possibly related) Druze serving in the Syrian or Lebanese military.
Military
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military
German Druzes 💀💀
The opposite of the Jehovah Witnesses
@@ionatanmacbhaididh5736 the jws say they're never loyal to the government and refuse to fight in all wars
NOO WAIT we would never do that .. yes it's true but the part that states that we would fight each other for political things is wrong .. cause you would be kicked out of the community if you do so
sounds like a very very interesting idea this tawheed. love it.
I had never heard of the Druze until the 12 children were killed. I have been investigating since. I can now see why they love living in Israel. Israel allows all people to live in peace and follow their own religion in peace. They can also join as much as they want in Israel life if they want. They sound like amazing people and condemn violence. Wishing them much peace
Great episode and very well narrated!
When you learn more about Druze from a RUclips video than from living in Lebanon for a quarter century. It's always been a secret to non-Druze 😂
secret? you dont talk to druzi people?or do they not talk to y'all?
asking for real
@@BarsaviakGo Cry Elsewhere...
@@Barsaviakall I knew about was reincarnation and the secrecy for survival. Also, I had met some Druze friends over the years. They were friendly but stick to themselves for the most part (at least in my experience).
Very informative video 😊😊😊 from Malaysia 🇲🇾🇲🇾🇲🇾🇲🇾
Great stuff. Kinda amazing to think the druze today are druze only because 1000 years ago their ancestors decided to become druze in a small window of opportunity.
And one of them Druze is going to marry George Clooney , small world I guess
I have 11,5% Druze ancestry, according to Dna tests, didnt have a clue..
@@YaverMemolibaba are you from Latin America? There was a great migration wave from ottoman Syria to the americas in the early 19th century , could be that
@@KD-oy8qt no, i am caucasian turk:)
@@YaverMemolibaba oh! I think the DNA test got it reversed, I believe you shared the same ancesstory as some durzi families in the Levant who are originally for turkey/ cacusse (see arslan family) and later became druz
Great information
Proud to be one of them.
Also the Druze made great history in the Levant
Could you cover the Shepard of Hermas?
Thanks for posting
As an atheist raised Catholic I must say I love your videos man. Not for some sort of cathartic confirmation bias, but because it's so interesting to learn about the histories of different cultures from a religious perspective even not believing in any spirituality myself. I love traveling and learning about other cultures so this is almost like taking a short 17minute plane trip to visit this specific culture, I recommend you to everyone I know religious or not!
What about inherited diseases in the Druze community. We have found in many closed societies like the Amish and others, the gene pool is much smaller so recessive genes are more common to manifest in a higher birth rate of certain disabilities or illnesses. Do the Druze practice any kind of screening to see if both prospective spouses are carriers?
no we don't have any of those diseases actually. down syndrome and autism doesnt really run with us
There are also Druze in Israel/Palestine. My youngest brother is Druze from Israel. They are a fascinating people.
not in palestine, they wld never be in palestine as palestinians see them as traitors
palestine no israel
@@Moshmushh ISRAEL no Fakestina
The colors on the star atop the building first show differ in their arrangement from the graphic you later show. Is this significant? Does it matter how the colors are arranged, or is this a mistake? Are there differing notions of how the colors and the principles they represent should be arranged?
Green takes precedence. Every other color's positioning depends on the emphasis put on it by the specific strain of the Druze community who made the star. You can actually see this in the Druze flag too. That's why green is in the form of a triangle at the base with the other colors extending out from it.
yes there's an arrangement .. it's as follows : Green, red, yellow, blue and white
Love the Druze! They are amazing, morally upright people!
Thank you 😄
Did you say ..... Podcast?!?! Oh yeah, I have endless mind numbing hours at work I fill with Podcast. So awesome.
all the times that I have discussed this with Druze figures they defined the issue of marriage differently.
they have no ban on marriages to non-druze people, but due to the "closed to converts" nature of the religion, any kids born from a marriage to a non-Druze - will not be recognized as Druze and can't 'convert' into the religion/nation.
that being said, they maintain family connections with them no mater who they marry.
Can't wait for the podcast!!!
This sounds like Islam, mixed with Buddhist or Vedic systems. Fascinating :-)
Thank you! Waited a long time for this video !!
Glad to learn about the druze never knew such religion existed
Someone in the comments said "a reformed Islam" and i agree. I worked with one of them and no matter how he explained it i still saw it just as a sect of Islam ...but they don't like being associated with Islam .
we dont accept the 5 main pillars of islam and we dont pray 5 times a day like them. women dont need to cover their hair, and men can only marry one woman. tbh as a druze i find it similar to islam only that we celebrate eid al adha and the faith recognizes muhammad as a prophet (this is still debatable)
Nice one :) I was wondering if you have any plans on making videos that focus more on the theoretical side of religious studies? There is hardly any content that deals with these topics on RUclips, which is such a shame :D
That's the plan, yes. I just filmed a huge video on Roy Rappaport's theory of ritual today. Much more theoretical.
@@ReligionForBreakfast Omg Rappaport.. no way :D That’s so awesome!
I asked for this video a long time ago, I doubt this was uploaded because of that comment but I’m so glad you made this! There seems to be sparse information online about them
I think the One isn't intellective for Plotinus. The Intellect is, and it's second to it.
Hi there, firstly: nice clip and a nice informative channel in general. I end up up here occasionally an always find the shared information infomative in one way or the other, not essentially due to new facts or so but the overviews are presented in a pleasantly compact way without being too consice (searchterms are indeed provided). 👍
Anyhow, at about 14:40 the term 'transmigration of the soul' is mentioned. I am aware of the fact that, apart from the Druzes, the Yazidis c.q. Sharfadin-believers also believe in some variation of soul transmigration but there are two points of attention here: Sharfadin are indeed thought to be partially non-Abramahic and of some older Persian spiritual extraction with an ancient Vedic background (which makes the whole idea less alien to their tradition).
Furthermore other Yarsanis, at least as far as I have understood, also tend towards the belief in some form of reincarnation.
Secondly it should be mentioned that certain Judaic traditions also explicitly adhere some idea of soul transmigration, mainly due to the qabbalistic school of thought; therein it is mentioned as "Gilgul ha-Nemshahot". The whole notion of transmigration of the soul (or certain aspects of it) is apparently less uncommon then 'we' seem to have been assuming and is always attributed to traditions that are either considered ancient and pagan or Dhramic, erroneously so it seems.
The Druze have a really beautiful symbol of all things.
Great video! Thanks so much :)
It is interesting that the Druze seem to characterize mind as pre-dating soul, in a theistic-cosmic sense. I wonder how common this is in theorized models of soul across different religions and philosophies. Indeed from the Judeo-Christian sense it feels like there is often a significant overlap between the two concepts.
Curious to know if Rob Morris took the star color pattern for the eastern star organization. That is what pulled me into this video. I remembered that symbol as a child and was curious if I would finally learn something about what those meetings were actually about.
I work for druze from Lebanon here in virginia
Alot of westerners have a misconception about the Druz religion is that they predate Islam while they emerged from Islam
Very informative video
Love it! Learned something new today. Thank you 💜
Purple Heart
wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_Heart
@@junesilvermanb2979 Thank you for this piece of trivia! Hope you learned the difference between a medal and an emoji ✌️🤭
Thanks from making this video. I live in Jerusalem and have been so curious about the Druze. One question. If they subscribe to the idea that they are descended from Jethro who lived int he time of Moses but the religious was sonly stared about 1000 or 1200 years ago, how do they consider themselves Yethro's descendants. There are thousands of years in the gap.
Yes for the podcast! Can't wait! Also, I couldn't help thinking of Al-Tanukhi as a plumber with a a tail flying around. No, I'm not 12, sadly ha.
Wonderful work as always!
Yeah, Mario 3 was very much on my mind while filming this!
@@ReligionForBreakfast glad it wasn’t just me being silly haha
Thank you ❤
There are 7 to 10 million Druze people are there in the middle east they don't declare their faith until the age of 45, also fear of persecution by main stream Islam.
Fascinating, thank you.
so another offshoot of another offshoot ?
Sounds like the Southern Baptist. A shoot off from another shootoff
Do you have any video on Ismaili/Nizari Ismaili ?? or any plan to make one? thanks
Wait so Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah is a "mad ruler" for destroying a church? While he banned slavery and also helped rebuilt Jewish and Christian holy places later on and even allow them to revert back to their old religion (after having been forced to convert before)? I wonder who set the narrative of him early on...
His enemies and the fact is that he was a very complex character, I have even made a video about him ruclips.net/video/oGEriZrbHjM/видео.html watch it and please subscribe if you liked it!
you do see reason behind things mate
You hinted them being apart from muslims, is that so? since they somewhat descended from ismailism, but very different from any other islamic sect ... i had druze friends (im from Jordan) one who memorised the Quran, and they took Islam classes and identified as Muslims too, and prayed in mosques at school, is that just part of blending in the community? would Druze in israel feel differently? i would be interested to know what Druze think of that matter, it looks complicated, also if something not touched on is if they have differents prayers or the same 5 prayers in islam, along with the other rituals like fasting, zakat ... etc
The Quran is a sacred text among them though they seem to reject the infallibility of it and have their own additional texts.
Maybe they just ethnically identify as Druze?But practice Islam?
Very interesting!. Thankyou :)
In Israel we love the Druze!! Served with them in the army!! Amazing people!