The leader of the Druze, Walid Jumblatt (Walid Beg), stated that his ancestors were of Kurdish origin and spoke the Kurmanji dialect.
In the early 2000s, writer Faik Bulut traveled to Beirut to conduct a documentary study on the Druze community in Lebanon. At that time, he met with Walid Jumblatt (Walid Beg), the leader of the Druze community, at the historic mansion called "Mukhtara." During this meeting, Walid Jumblatt stated that his family and ancestors were Kurdish.
Researcher and writer Faik Bulut included the following information in his article published in The Independent:
Druze leader Kemal Jumblatt's name derives from "Canpolat" and is based on the Kurdish words "can" (spiritual/physical vitality) and "polat" (steel, lead). This origin points to the Jumblatt family's historical Kurdish identity, their past extending to the Iranian borders, and their status as a dynasty that spread across Kurdistan following the Celali revolts of the 1600s.
Kemal Jumblatt was an important political and intellectual leader of the Druze community in Lebanon. Breaking from traditional feudal structures, he advocated progressive, socialist, and democratic ideas. He established parties, publications, and social projects accordingly. He played an active role in Middle Eastern politics from the Palestinian cause to sectarian divisions; leaving his mark in the fields of environment, culture, science, literature, and philosophy, earning the title "Muallim Kemal Beg" (Teacher Kemal Beg).
However, on the Lebanese stage dominated by sectarian conflicts and great power games, Kemal Jumblatt's efforts to bring a democratic structure to the region ended in failure. The leader's assassination left deep wounds in the Druze community's collective memory. Nevertheless, the universal human values he represented and his strong stance stemming from his Kurdish origins are still remembered and respected today.
The full article and images can be viewed at this link: https://indyturk.com/node/287966/