The Druze religious sect, enmeshed in an outbreak of tit-for-tat violence in Syria, began roughly 1,000 years ago as an offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam. Most Druze religious practices are shrouded in secrecy, with outsiders not allowed to convert and intermarriage strongly discouraged. More than half the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide…
Just over six months since the downfall of Syria’s long-time leader, Bashar al-Assad, the country’s fragile post-war order is on the brink. The country is deeply divided as it tries to emerge from decades of dictatorship and nearly 14 years of civil war. In recent days, Israel has carried out strikes within Syria amid clashes…
Hezbollah rocket fire wounded 19 people in the town of Tira in Israel early Saturday morning, leaving four in moderate condition and the others with mild injuries. This is the latest example of Hezbollah killing and wounding people in Arab and Druze communities in recent weeks. It is unclear why Hezbollah rocket fire is…