Q: Your info on Amal Alamuddin, George Clooney’s new wife, did not mention her religion. I would be interested in that info.
—Lorraine Battles, Atlanta
A: Alamuddin is a Druze, a Middle Eastern monotheistic religion and community "characterized by an eclectic system of doctrines and by a cohesion and loyalty among its members," according to the Encyclopedia Britannica. Marriage outside the group is "rare and is strongly discouraged," and rumors that Alamuddin's mother disapproved of the wedding between her and Clooney dogged the couple during their engagement. He denied those in a letter published in USA Today on July 9.
“The Druze are more tribal than religious; it’s a bit like joining a fraternity,” said Makram Rabah, a doctoral candidate at Georgetown University researching the Druze, told NBCNews.com. It reported that there are 1.5 million Druze and that Alamuddin’s family has a prominent place among the group, but it left Beirut in the 1980s and moved to London. Clooney and Alamuddin were married last month.
Q: Maine is enacting bear hunting protection measures. Is it legal to hunt bears in Georgia? If so, by what methods?
—Al Cooper, Atlanta
A: Bear hunting is legal in Georgia using modern rifles, bows and primitive weapons, such as muzzleloaders and black powder weapons, but is limited to certain bear-zone counties. Bear season generally lasts through the fall in North Georgia, but is more limited in Middle and South Georgia.
The killing of females with one or more cubs or bears that weight less than 75 pounds is prohibited. Harvested bears must be reported to personnel with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division. Go to eregulations.com/georgia/hunting/bear/ or to georgiawildlife.com for more details.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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