Unsurprisingly, given the context in which this movement has emerged, it is highly critical of the regime and those associated with it. Ethnically speaking, the "Arab" aspect has long been a strong component of Druze identity. It seems that primarily in response to these developments has come the emergence of the Harakat al-Hawiya al-Arabiya al-Druziya ("The Arab Druze Identity Movement"), also known as the Harakat al-Difa' 'an al-Hawiya al-Druziya ("The Movement to Defend Druze Identity"), which first appears to have come on the scene in late 2015 (c. Less well known is that allegations of Shi'ification efforts also exist with respect to the Druze community in Syria. More recently, extensive Iranian and pro-Iranian Shi'a militia involvement on the ground in the Syrian civil war has given rise to claims of further Shi'ification trends targeting the Alawite community in particular, such as the opening of husseiniyas (Shi'i centres) in the Damascus and Latakia areas. The same has been true of the Alawites, though as is well known, a number of efforts have been made in the recent past to bring the Alawites into the fold of mainstream Shi'i Islam, such as Musa Sadr's fatwa in 1974 that recognized the Alawites as Shi'a – a trend of identification strengthened by the post-1979 alliance between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Assad dynasty. Emblem of Harakat al-Hawiya al-Arabiya al-Druziya, using the familiar colours associated with the Druze sect.Īlthough the Druze originate from a sect within Shi'i Islam, the religious movement evolved over time such that the Druze identity is deemed separate from that of the Shi'a.
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