Druze

As of 2020, there are about one million adherents to the Druze religion worldwide, mostly in Jordan, Israel, Syria, and Lebanon, with approximately 30,000 in the U.S, with the largest American group in California. Druze is a monotheistic religion formed in the 10th and 11th centuries with ties to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It combines Islamic tenets with Greek and Hindu philosophies, and their prophets are Moses, John the Baptist, Jesus, and Mohammed. The most revered religious figure is Jethro, father-in-law of Moses. Though some Druze consider themselves “Muslim,” Druze is not a branch of Islam or a sect; it’s recognized as a separate religion.

The Druze faith hasn’t accepted converts since 1050, and it prohibits marriage outside the faith (find more here). The adherents believe anyone who wanted to join the religion had a chance to do so in the first generation after it was started, and that everyone who is alive today is reincarnated from a previous generation. Proselytizing is not allowed under Druze law. Find more here.