A descendant of an ancient Unitarian family and one of the most prominent figures of the Druze monotheistic community in the world. He possesses wisdom and a rational, courageous stance in every situation concerning the Druze community wherever they may be.
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif was born in 1963 in the village of Julis in the Galilee; he is the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Palestine, the head of the Druze Religious Council, a judge of the sect, and the president of the Higher Druze Appeals Court.
Sheikh Tarif graduated from the Khalwat al-Bayada in Hasbaya, Lebanon. He holds the highest religious authority for the Druze in Palestine, acts as the custodian of holy sites, and represents the community there in religious matters.
He completed his law studies at the Academic College, and in 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Haifa.
Spiritual Leader
He was elected as the spiritual leader of the Druze community in Palestine on October 2, 1993, succeeding his maternal grandfather, Sheikh Amin Tarif. This was in accordance with his grandfather's will before his passing, which designated his grandson to succeed him as head of the community and custodian of the Nabi Shu'ayb shrine, the Al-Khader shrine, and the Julis Khalwa. Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif had served as an assistant to his grandfather for 15 years.
He was elected to lead the Higher Religious Council in 1997 and was appointed as a judge of the sect at the Druze Sharia Court of Appeals, based in Acre, in 2002. In 2016, he was appointed president of the court.
High-Level International Relations
Sheikh Mowafaq Tarif maintains very extensive international relations. He has made numerous visits to major powers and held meetings with various heads of state, always leveraging these high-level relationships for the benefit of the Druze in the Middle East and the world.
