The Druze

After driving south through the city for a good half hour we take a left away from the sea and are suddenly amidst huge slopes and lush green valleys. The elevation comes upon us fast and before we know it Bechara is taking fast hairpin turns along mountain curves with dangerous drops looming just beyond the edge of the road. It's astonishing how the earth changed almost instantaneously, from Mediterranean coastline to rolling hills that resemble Tuscany, and as we marvel at the views, Bechara talks to us about the history of these valleys and the people who fill them. We are on the road to Mount Lebanon, to see a palace and a museum deep in the mountains, and as we drive Bechara tells us about the Druze and the Maronite Christians who filled these hills with their faith and stories...

Who are the Druze? I don't really know, and can offer little up here other than a few cursory web links and the briefest summary of their history. For almost 1000 years, this group of people have traversed this area of the world, and have settled largely in what is now Lebanon, Syria, and Israel. They first publicly proclaimed their beliefs in Egypt in 1016 AD, and were quickly labeled heretics by followers of Islam and Christianity. Their faith is a unique amalgamation of the tenets of the Abrahamic faiths, along with other elements, and they labeled themselves "Unitarians" to convey their strong belief in monotheism. Their spiritual traditions and beliefs are difficult for non-Arabic speakers to access, and so I'm really in no position to say anything about who they are or what they believe in. They have lived in these valleys for centuries, reclusive, and protected from persecution by their own tightly knit communities in the safety of these mountains. When the Crusaders came to Beirut, Muslims from afar paid the Druze warriors to keep the Crusaders from coming inland, and the Druze have guarded over these valleys repeatedly in the years since. Just a few years ago Hezbollah tried to stake a claim to this area, only to be repelled effectively by the Druze, who know far better than any imported fighters how to defend this turf. Fascinating really... This scholarly, secretive community in the hills with their own spiritual lineages, their own culture, presiding over their communities relatively safe from the meddling and messy affairs of today's Middle East...
We forget sometimes that these pockets of humanity exist - people far detached from the dominant narrative of the day, who've carved out their own niche through history, neither seeking power nor interfering with those around them desperate to claim it. The Druze have endured the rise and fall of empires and nations, safely ensconced in this timeless valley where no one has the will or ability to pursue them. It's inspiring, at least to those of us who harbor minority views, and who have never been regarded with anything but suspicion in the countries we've lived in. In my own way, I've taken a page from the Druze playbook, retreating from the constant shrill culture wars of America in 2012 to quieter higher ground to live my life in pursuit of something resembling grace. There is more to learn from this group of people, and I look forward to digging a little deeper into their world, perhaps through the work of scholars and artists like Sami Makarem, one of the few Druze scholars whose work has been translated into English. So much to learn, and so little time... I'm grateful to see these Druze communities perched along these hills. They become more than just a story, more than something I read about somewhere, but a living reality that testifies to the lengths that people must go to in order to live according to their beliefs...