MENA Minorities

Social Anthropologist Gebhard Fartacek (check out his work on shrines in Southern Syria) from the Austrian Academy of Sciences edited a reader about Druze reincarnation narratives. The book was just published this week and the e-book is also available as open access via Peter Lang Publishing. If you are interested in Druze religion you will find interesting contributions by  Fartacek, Lorenz Nigst (University of Vienna),  Eléonore Armanet ( Aix-Marseille University) ,  Nour Farra Haddad ( Saint Joseph University)  and  Salma Samaha (Lebanese University). I was asked to provide an overview of the current political situation of the Druze communities, which I did basically by summarizing all my existing research after a decade long preoccupation with different dimensions of Druze politics. One might notice that even though my chapter has "contemporary situation" in the title, some recent crucial events are not mentioned like the devas...

Israel voted (again) on  March 23 so lets have a look at the Arab members of the new Knesset and possible successors: Likud (30 seats) Druze Fatin Mulla  from Yarka (28th slot) is currently deputy minister in the caretaker government and reenters the Knesset. Nael Zoabi , a former principal, was presented as the party's first ever Arab and Muslim candidate (39th slot). He and former Druze minister Ayub Qara (42nd slot) have only theoretical chances to become a MK's in the years to come due to resignations. Blue and White (8 seats) Mufid Marid (9th slot), a Druze military officer from Hurfaish on the Lebanese border has good chances to enter the Knesset in case his party makes it to government. The female Druze candidate of the last elections, outgoing MK Ghadir Mrih, switched over to Yesh Atid after  the coalition of Benny Gantz with Likud and recently announced a break from politics. Labor (7 seats) Controversial filmmaker ( "Lady Kul El-Arab" )  Ibtisam M...