As a small sect that emerged from Islam over a thousand years ago, the Druze religion and society has long been cloaked in a tradition of secrecy. Veiled from the outside world, the religious tenets have been vulnerable to distortion, misunderstanding, and misrepresentation. In this book Dr. Anis Obeid, a Druze layman, provides a penetrating analysis of Druze scriptures and beliefs (Tawhid). Presenting a chronological narrative of the foundation and development of the faith, he explains the historical conditions and religious rationale behind this closed religion. The Druze faith is the product of Abrahamic monotheism as it coalesced with other philosophies, belief systems, and political structures of the West and the East and, as Obeid maintains, should be recognized for its core monotheism, and not fundamentally different from Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. He argues convincingly, with examples and translations from the Druze scriptures, only now accessible to a non-initiate public, that Tawhid is a progressive and dynamic spiritual process based on freedom of choice. This rich exploration of their faith, the author’s appeal for a sincere cultural dialogue will resonate with a wide audience in the West and in the Middle East.

This first anthropological study of gender and religion through the experience of the Druze women in Lebanon comes in response to a serious void in this field of knowledge and provides profound insights into gender relations amongst the Druze faith of al-Tawhid as a progressive challenge to the prevailing patriarchal values at the time of its inception during the early decades of the 11th century as well as the present time.

Author of several writings on the Druze, Jean-Marc Aractingi former Ambassador, Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Arab Masonic Council, lived his adolescence in the Druze mountain of Lebanon. He thus had the opportunity to get to know this community well through its religion and customs.But it is above all that he was among the few people to have had the privilege of possessing a copy of the original Arabic version of their sacred writings.This is how he was able, through his readings and research, to establish an analogy between their rituals and their symbolism with those of the high Masonic ranks, such as for example the symbolism of colors. This allowed him to recognize the mysterious representation of the Divinity through the color attributed to each "Minister" in hierarchical order.This book makes us discover, at the dawn of the announcement by the Druze of the advent at the beginning of the 21st century of their Messiah, this religion very rich in esotericism and which is at the crossroads of the mystics of all nations.Authors biography: Jean-Marc ARACTINGI is a Doctor, Engineer and Diplomat by training.Doctor in Theology and History of Religions from International Christian University (ICU), Engineer from AgroParisTech, former PhD student in Energy at École Centrale de Paris, he is also a 3rd cycle graduate from the University of Paris I- Sorbonne, from the Center for Diplomatic and Strategic Studies in Paris and former intern at the Paris War School.Freemason (33 °, 96 °, CBCS, 7 ° RO), he was exalted Master at the Grand Lodge of France in the Orient of Paris and a corresponding member of the famous Jean Scot Erigène Research Lodge of the Grand Lodge of France. He is currently Sovereign Grand Commander of the Supreme Arab Masonic Council, World Grand Master of the Grand Orient Arab, High Dignitary of the International Sovereign Shrine of the Egyptian Rites of Memphis-Misraïm and member of the Directorate of the World Masonic Union of the 33rd degree of the AASR.Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Paul, Grand Cross and Grand Commander of the Order of Lafayette, he is also a Knight of the Order of the Temple and of the Order of Malta-Grand Priory of Russia.He is the author of several books on Freemasonry and on religious esotericism.

When this book was first published in 1984, it was the first extensive study of the Druzes to appear for many years. A small community native only in Lebanon, Syria and Palestine, the Druzes have exercised an influence around them greater than their numerical strength. Living for the most part in mountainous territories they have maintained an independent existence for a thousand years. This book places the beliefs of the Druzes in the context of the history of Sh?'ism in its Ism?'?l? form, from which their faith developed. It also describes the role of the Druze community in the history of Lebanon and Syria. In the preparation of this book, the author, a Druze herself, has made use not only of the readily available Arabic and European sources but also of documents and manuscripts that are less easily accessible.

The Druze and the Maronites, arguably the two founding communities of modern Lebanon, have the reputation of being primordial enemies. Makram Rabah attempts to gauge the impact of collective memory on determining the course and the nature of the conflict between these communities in Mount Lebanon. He takes as his focus 'the War of the Mountain' in 1982, reconstructing the events of this war through the framework of collective remembrance and oral history.He challenges the idea that these group identities were constructed by their respective centres of power within the Maronite and Druze community, providing an alternative to the prevailing meta-narrative. Telling the stories of the many people who took part in these events, or who simply suffered as a consequence, helps to expose the intrinsic motives which led to this conflict and makes a valuable contribution to the field of Lebanese historical scholarship.