LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Druze: Syria
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Founded in the early 11th century, the Druze faith is based largely on the dogma of Hamzah ibn Ali ibn Ahmad, a minister of the Fatimid Caliph al-Hakim. Based initially of the doctrines of Shi'a Islam, the Druze believe that, through Hakim, God made a final appeal to humanity to redeem themselves before He returned to rule. The Druze are found primarily in Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Jordan.
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The Druze in Syria and Lebanon played a key role in the building of their respective countries and had an important part in the Arab struggles against French colonialism that began in the 1920s. Thus, they are part of the past glory, present reality, and future destiny of their countries, and never had nationalist aspirations to establish an independent Druze state. They preferred to be loyal to their respective countries and partners in developing its strength, security, prosperity, and power.
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The total Druze population throughout the world is probably under 1 million. Approximately 900,000 live in Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Jordan. The largest communities outside the Middle East are in North and South America. There are smaller groups in Australia, West Africa, and Western Europe.
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The Druze of Israel, Lebanon, and Syria get along very well with their neighbors because nobody has ever been able to tell the Druze what to do. The Turks and the French exploited the people of the Levant, but they did not conquer the Druze. They kept them at arm's length, as do the governments in those countries today. There is something special about the Druze.
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In April 1925 the Druze petitioned the French authorities for a hearing to discuss French breaches of the 1921 agreement. On July 11, 1925, General Maurice Sarrail, the high commissioner for the French mandate, ordered his delegate at Damascus to summon the Druze representatives. Upon arrival the Druze leaders were arrested and exiled by the French to the oasis of Palmyra, precipitating a Druze revolt that eventually gave impetus to the independence struggles of Syria and Lebanon.
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Shishakli brought Syrian law and administration to the Jabal Druze with a ferocity and speed which President Quwwatli could only have dreamed of. Before the military build-up spurred by the 1948 War in Palestine, radical political change in Syria had always originated with the tribal levies of the hinterland: such was the case with the Arab Revolt of 1917, the Great Syrian Revolt of 1925, and the mutiny against the French in 1945. During the 1948 War, the military equation in Syria changed for good; no longer could the cavalry forces at the disposal of traditional chieftains, such as the Atrashes, alter the course of Syrian politics or intimidate the central government. The Syrian Army grew exponentially during these years. In mid-1947 the army numbered no more than 7,000 active troops; by the end 1948 it grew to 18,000. Husni Za`im built it up to 31,700 men in 1949, and by the end of 1951 Shishakli had increased its size to 43,000.
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