Yael recently sat down with Mansor Ashkar, a Druze Israeli who explained a bit about the history of his faith tradition, as well as how it fits into the context of Israel today.
Mansor is a member of the Druze religion. The Druze are the descendants of Jethro, a biblical figure best-known for being the father-in-law of the prophet Moses. The main pillars of their faith deal with philosophy, spiritual purity, and a strong connection with God. As a minority religion, the Druze are historically quite secretive and have lived under the radar, compared to more mainstream Abrahamic religions. Despite this, the Druze have always maintained good relations with their neighbors.
Mansor explained that a core principle of the Druze is the acceptance of all religions. “There’s no hostility between the Druze, the Jews, and the Christians—actually, there is a lot of love and respect,” said Mansor. “If you walk into a Druze village, it doesn’t matter if it’s in Israel, Lebanon or Syria, and you tell them that you are from another faith tradition, they will love it. [Druze] people will walk from all over the village to come and hear about your faith.”
Although the Druze prioritize tolerance and respect for other religions, they have not always enjoyed that same level of tolerance themselves. Despite their common roots with Muslims, the Druze are considered infidels by Islam. According to Mansor, the Druze had to go into hiding or even deny their faith to avoid being targeted and killed. “For the last thousand years, the Druze would hide their faith and sometimes pretend to be part of other faiths, just to survive,” Mansor explained. “Druze today, even still, in places like Jordan and Syria, don’t really say that we are Druze. They say, ‘We are Muslims, we are just like you.’ They pray the prayers; they read the Quran.
“Even today, around the Middle East, [the majority of Druze] are either hiding their identity, or they are suffering from persecution,” said Mansor. “As a matter of fact, the only place in the Middle East where Druze are proudly wearing their religion and flag and have complete freedom of religion is in Israel. That’s the only place we can openly say ‘We are Druze, not Muslims.’” Mansor stated that he is proud to call himself an Israeli and feels lucky to live in a place where he can express his identity openly, without fear of persecution.
Mansor’s story illustrates that, despite our differences, people from all faiths, backgrounds, and walks of life can live together in harmony. It is an important lesson on coexistence in a region of the world that sees few such examples. Moreover, his story demonstrates that, while Israel is a Jewish state, it is also a country with a litany of diverse religious and ethnic groups. Even if you are not a Jew, Israel still welcomes all those who want to live a life of faith and peace in community with their neighbors.
