Sharing Secrets with the Druze

Continuing our series on the Druze by sitting down with Sheikh Professor Fadel Mansour, senior member of the Druze community, member of the management committee of the Higher Druze Religious Council in Ussafiya and a retired biologist at the Vulcani Institute.

How we got here: Inside Israel’s Most Secretive Religion: https://youtu.be/Bdzr8tUs6Tg

Our short intro to the Druze: The Secret Religion of the Druze https://youtu.be/AdNghOWp8XQ
This week’s video is dedicated in memory of my beautiful friend Sholi. May your bear-hugs, your jovial happy spirit and loud infectious laughter with stay inside our hearts for as long as we live and live on through us.

The last time i saw you was when i was back in Bondi, back from two years in SA, it was this time of the year. It was at a menorah lighting in the Junction. You were tall, bold and stubbly as ever. It brought me so much joy to see you again, to eat a messy doughnut with you, to just be with you, embraced by your easy spirit, your humour, curiosity and care. We spoke of the people we loved, who loved us, the mistakes we’d made, the times we fucked up and said sorry. I wish you were still here. I hope you’re at peace. I love you and i miss you.

To you Sholi, my brother, who would have laughed so hard at these videos.
00:00 Excerpts
00:25 Who is Prof Fadel Mansour
02:08 The Message of Jethro
03:29 Where the Druze differ from Islam
05:10 Allegorical Interpretations of the Quran and the New Testament
06:59 History of the Druze. Hamza ibn Ali and Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah
08:14 Greek Philosophy and the Druze
12:52 God according to the Druze
13:43 The Prophet as Tajalli, a Manifestation of God
15:41 Why is the Druze Religion a Secret?
16:48 Can we Exchange Secrets?
18:06 How do you behave?
21:16 Similarities between Druze and Sufism
24:11 The Inner Meaning of the Precepts of Islam
25:35 “The Protestants of Islam”
26:06 Druze Mysticism?
26:47 Batin and Zahir, Batin al Batin
30:19 Tell us of Prayer
32:29 Uniting with God?
32:17 Waḥdat al-wujūd, the Unity of Existence
33:59 Future Revelations?
35:42 Less Speculation, More Action
37:02 Finding the Common and the Good in Religion
38:37 Critical Thinking and Religion. God via the Brain
40:18 How did the philosophical influence take place historically?
43:13 The Message of Jethro
47:00 Pages Time
50:29 Messiah according to the Druze
51:29 Heaven and Hell according to the Druze
53:17 Will you Pray with us?
55:44 Guest Book Signing
58:00 What is Hasidism?
1:01:02 The Three Questions
1:05:09 What are Tzitzit?
1:06:54 “To Find the All”
1:08:07 Thank you
If you’d like to learn more about the Druze, check out this great video from our friend Filip over at Let’s Talk Religion: Who are the Druze: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmD1G9BnhkA

To go even deeper, check out these titles.
Academic:
Origins of the Druze People and Religion, Philip K. Hitti, 1928
The Druze Faith, Sāmī Nasīb Makārim, 1974
The Druze, Robert B. Betts, 1988
A History of the Druzes, Kais Firro, 1992
The Druzes: A New Study of Their History, Faith, and Society, Nejla Abu Izzeddin, 1993
The Druze in the Middle East: Their Faith, Leadership, Identity and Status, Nissim Dana, 2003
Historical Dictionary of the Druzes, Samy Swayd, 2006

Non-Academic
The Druze and their Faith in Tawhid, Anis Obeid, 2006
The Olive and the Tree: The Secret Strength of the Druze, Ruth Westheimer, Gil Sedan, 2007
Deep Within: The Nectar of the Gods Rests the Druze Faith, Fadya Alameddine, 2017

Join us:
https://facebook.com/seekersofunity
https://instagram.com/seekersofunity
https://www.twitter.com/seekersofU
https://www.seekersofunity.com

Thank you to our beloved Patrons: Yehuda, Kevin, Evan, Shahin, Al Alami, Dale, Ethan, Gerr, Effy, Noam, Ron, Shtus, Mendel, Jared, Tim, Mystic Experiment, MM, Lenny, Justin, Joshua, Jorge, Wayne, Jason, Caroline, Yaakov, Daniel, Wodenborn, Steve, Collin, Justin, Mariana, Vic, Shaw, Carlos, Nico, Isaac, Frederick, David, Ben, Rodney, Charley, Jonathan, Chelsea, Curly Joe and Adam.

Join them in supporting us:
patreon: https://www.patreon.com/seekers
paypal: https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=RKCYGQSMJFDRU

Видео Sharing Secrets with the Druze канала Seekers of Unity