Lecture | Event
An Evening of Druze Voices
- Date
- Thursday 6 November 2025
- Time
- Address
-
Lipsius
Cleveringaplaats 1
2311 BD Leiden - Room
- Tbd
Description
Often in the News, but rarely known in the West – who are the Druze? The Druze live in the Levant (about 800,000 to one million people), primarily in Lebanon, Syria, and Israel, with smaller communities in Jordan. They are bound by religion, but contemporarily mainly connected by a strong social bond, as most of them are not religious. Since the rise of the Druze faith, the community has faced many challenges, starting with the prosecutions during the Fatimid Caliphate in the 11th century, through the revolt against the French colonial rule, and the 2018 ISIS attack on the city of Suwayda.
The history and contemporary situation of the Druze remain largely untold and unknown, especially in the West. This November, the Leiden Jewish Studies Network invites you to connect with the Druze youth, giving the Leiden University students, faculty members, and anyone interested an opportunity to learn about the rich history, religion, and philosophy. Alongside sharing the history and culture of the Druze region and connecting the Druze youth with Leiden University people, we strive to shed light on the enormous struggle of the Druze. The Syrian government is currently terrorising the Druze civilians employing street executions, kidnapping, rape, destruction, and looting of the villages as tools of oppression.
The story will be told by the Druze students of As-Suwayda, a city that experienced many atrocities from the Syrian government in the past few months. Despite blocked roads, recurring lack of electricity, internet, and water, they remain dedicated to education and want to raise their voices to talk about the struggles of their generation.
Join us on the 6th of November 2025 at 7 pm in the Lipsius building to listen to the Druze story and connect with the Druze youth. The evening will start with a conversation moderated by Jürgen Zangenberg (Professor of Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity at Leiden University) and Shir Steenwijk (Student of History) and conclude with an informal reception where all participants are warmly invited.
Register
To help us organize the evening, please sign up via this link.