Preface
Clashing Views on Controversial Issues are not new in academia. Adjacent pro and con arguments excerpted from journal articles and books are written by experts and focus on diverse topics surrounding a broad issue area. Academics are accustomed to the practice. Such is the case with the topic “Challenging Controversial Druze Thinkers.” For one thousand years, since the inception of the Druze Faith, the strict rules in the case of the Druze Faith and the Kitab al-Hikmah (Druze Holy Books) in not divulging the Faith have been followed by all adherents to the Faith.  Outsiders have not entered into the mix, basically because they have not been privy to the Faith, nor have they had access to the Druze holy books, the  Kitab al-Hikmah. Since the Faith began, there are Kitab al-Hikmah holy books that have been acquired by outsiders of the Faith, and they are available in certain libraries around the world.  However, basically, the books are hard put to come by, and the average layman rarely has access to them.  Thus, the age-old arguments by some adherents of the Faith persists, i.e., how can I reinforce my belief in the Druze Faith when there are no tools for me to work with, such as the Bible for Christians and the Koran for Moslems, etc. Neither are there places of worship for the average layman.  In the Levant, there are holy places for religious people to gather on Thursday evenings to read the the  Kitab al-Hikmah together.  Not so in the West!

Thus, the advent of “Challenging Druze Thinkers” emerged among the intelligencia of the American Druze Society.  Each title presented explores many aspects of a broad issue using expert opinions from contemporary authors and present authoritative opinions on issues of “revelations of the Faith to the rules of inter marriage.” There is, among the authors whose work I have presented, an emphasis for people interested in dismantling concealment of the Faith and creating, in bias' stead, communities that desire diversity.

Will this wild thinking be considered among the Ukkal (religious people) and all the adherents of the Druze Faith, taking into account that there has been a “constant” in the rules of the Faith since the advent of the Druze Movement one thousand years ago?  You, the reader, must make the decision, and your opinion either corresponds with the “Rules of the Faith” or the Suggested “Rules by the Controversial Druze Thinkers” some of which I have included in this topic.

By Julie Makarem

‘Download the Open Letter that Dr, Anis Obeid wrote to Dr. Sami Makarem after Dr. Sami Makarem wrote the essay “Remarks on Dr. Anis Obeid’s The Druze and their Faith in Tawhid.
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Committee on Religious Reform (CORR) TABLE OF CONTENTS Charter for the Committee on Religious Affairs Committee on Religious Reform (CORR) Introduction Articles for the Committee on Religious Reform (CORR) Project Committee on Religious Reform (CORR) PUBLICATIONS Dr Sami Makarem s Essay Remarks on Dr Anis Obeid s The