Religion and group of people with somewhere between 350,000
(estimate of Western scholars) and 900,000 (figures presented by
the Druze) members (LookLex estimates that around 600,000 live
in the Middle East and nearly 700,000 all over the world),
living in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan, often in
mountainous regions. There are also important Druze communities
abroad, living in Europe and USA. |Druze by country Last column:
% Druze of the population |Other countries: 75,000 *) Calculated
for the total population of North Africa and the Middle East,
approx. 460,000,000. Druze temple in Suweida, Syria. Photo:
Sergio & Gabriella. Druze shaykh. Photo: Sergio & Gabriella.
While the Druze are not regarded as Muslims by other Muslims,
they regard themselves as Muslims as well as carriers of the
core of this Islam. The Druze seem, to a large extent, to have
originated from a group of Shi'is, the Isma'ilis, but they have
diverged much, and the Koran does not seem to be a part of their
religion. The Druze call thems