The Druze are a religious sect. Here's a look at their beliefs and history

The Druze religious sect, enmeshed in an outbreak of tit-for-tat violence in Syria, began roughly 1,000 years ago as an offshoot of Ismailism, a branch of Shiite Islam.

Most Druze religious practices are shrouded in secrecy, with outsiders not allowed to convert and intermarriage strongly discouraged.

More than half the roughly 1 million Druze worldwide live in Syria. Most of the other Druze live in Lebanon and Israel, including in the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Mideast War and annexed in 1981.

Here's a look at the Druze sect:

A core social doctrine for Druze is defending their brothers, meaning defending one another, said Makram Rabah, assistant professor of history at the American University of Beirut.

“If a Druze person anywhere in the world needed the help of another Druze person, he would automatically get it,” said Rabah. “You’re part of a bigger community.”

He stressed how social and cultural rituals keep the community together. “They’re a big tribe,” he said.

Intermarriage is not encouraged. Rabah said mainstream Druze would shun people who marry outside the sect. “You are under the risk of being isolated socially and community wise,” he said.

Syria’s Druze have a long history of cutting their own path to survive among the country’s powerhouses. They were heavily involved in revolts against Ottoman and French colonial rule to establish the modern Syrian state.

The Druze largely celebrated the downfall in December of Syrian autocrat Bashar Assad but were divided over interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa’s rule.

The latest violence has left the community more skeptical of Syria’s new leadership and doubtful of peaceful coexistence.

In Israel, members of the Druze community had called for intervention to protect the Druze in Syria. But elsewhere in the region, Druze leaders have rejected Israeli intervention.

Multiple Druze armed militias have existed for years, originally set up to protect their communities against Islamic State group fighters and drug smugglers coming in from the eastern desert.

Assad reluctantly gave Druze a degree of autonomy, as they wanted to avoid being involved on the front lines. The Druze were exempted from conscription into the Syrian army and instead set up local armed factions made of workers and farmers to patrol their areas.

Since Assad’s ouster, the Druze have been reluctant to lay down their arms. The result is a cycle of mistrust, where government supporters paint Druze factions as potential separatists or tools of Israel, while government hostility only deepens Druze worries.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Druze clerics take part in a gathering of minority religious leaders in Beirut, Lebanon, Friday, July 18, 2025, as they speak about sectarian clashes between Druze factions, Sunni Muslim Bedouin clans, and government forces in Syria. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein)

KYOTO, Japan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 15, 2026--

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (TOKYO: 6981) (ISIN: JP3914400001) announces a new collaboration with Synopsys, Inc., enabling users of Synopsys' simulation tools to navigate directly to Murata's website to access and download the latest high-performance simulation models from Murata. The collaboration covers Synopsys' 3D electromagnetic field analysis tool Ansys HFSS™ and thermal analysis tool Ansys Icepak®, and marks a significant step toward streamlining the simulation workflow for electronic circuit designers. Murata is also the first company to offer passive component simulation models via Ansys Icepak*.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260615241645/en/

As demand for high-speed, high-capacity communications continues to grow, electronic circuit design has become increasingly complex. Engineers must now account for a range of physical phenomena, from electromagnetic interference (EMI) to component heat generation, within a single design. Addressing these challenges early in the design process is critical; overlooking them can trigger costly redesigns, extend development timelines, and drive up prototyping expenses. This has placed greater pressure on electronic component suppliers to provide ready-to-use, high-quality simulation models that are compatible with the tools engineers already rely on.

Developing accurate models for electromagnetic and thermal analysis is inherently challenging, as both electromagnetic behavior and temperature distribution shift considerably depending on design conditions. Murata's vertically integrated approach, spanning raw material development and manufacturing through to final product processing, enables the company to draw on an extensive proprietary dataset, resulting in simulation models that closely reflect real-world component performance.

The models are compatible with Ansys 2026 R1. Ansys HFSS supports electromagnetic field analysis and covers Murata's RF inductors and multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs), while Ansys Icepak supports thermal analysis and covers Murata's power inductors.

Looking ahead, Murata will continue to deepen its collaboration with Synopsys, expanding its model lineup to support more advanced and efficient electronic design.

The following data is available for download from Murata's website:
Electromagnetic field analysis data for Ansys HFSS — RF inductors
Electromagnetic field analysis data for Ansys HFSS — MLCCs
Thermal analysis data for Ansys Icepak — Power inductors

For product data inquiries, please contact Murata regarding inductor products here, or capacitor products here.

Notes:
*Based on Murata research as of June 15, 2026.

About Synopsys

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About Murata

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, communication modules and power supply modules. Murata is committed to the development of advanced electronic materials and leading edge, multi-functional, high-density modules. The company has employees and manufacturing facilities throughout the world.

[Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.] New collaboration with Synopsys