Druze

The Druze - a much-misunderstood Muslim sect primarily inhabiting the Levant - have endured centuries of persecution by orthodox elements hostile to Islam's rich sectarian diversity on account of their esoteric divergence from mainstream Islam. As a result, they have become a 'fighting minority,' as described by one of their most illustrious leaders. Druze religious belief branched out from 10th- and 11th-century Shi'ism, and includes elements derived from Greek philosophy, Eastern religions and Islamic mysticism. It enshrines all religious schools, but posits itself as the sole path to…