In 1908, 76 Druse men organize El-Dirziat, the first Druze organization in the U.S. The Druze are a minority Islamic sect from Lebanon in the Ottoman Empire. El-Dirziat is a social and cultural group. The founding members are from Seattle and from other states.
The officers were Hassan Farris, Milhem Bshir, Hussein Kassem Yahia, and Salim Najm Jaber. At the time, there were no Druse women in the U.S. In 1991, there were approximately 200 Druse families residing in Seattle.
Sources:
Miriam Adeney and Kathryn DeMaster, "Muslims in Seattle," (student research paper, Seattle Pacific University, 1991) (http://adam.spu.edu/~denuol/Muslim1.htm#_edn10).
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