Alevis are adherents of a branch of Islam, related to Shia Islam and practised mainly in (majority Sunni) Turkey, among both Turks, Zazas, and Kurds. Islam   listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Zazas is part of the famous sacred mantra Zazas Zazas Nasatanada Zazas (sometimes Zazas Zazas Natasanada Zazas) of Choronzon (or Noznoroch, the Demon of Dispersion, whose number is 333) in the Jewish Kabbalah. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ...

Alevis in Turkey

This picture shows the turkish provinces with a higher rate of Alevis (blue-levels) and other provinces inhabiting a lower rate (<10%) of Alevis (white). ... This picture shows the turkish provinces with a higher rate of Alevis (blue-levels) and other provinces inhabiting a lower rate (<10%) of Alevis (white). ...

Alevis

Adherents of Alevism (in Turkish Alevîlik) are called Alevis. The exact number of Alevis is not known, with estimates varying from 20 to 30% of the population of Turkey alone, i.e. 14-21 million believers in Turkey, with perhaps as many as three million in Iran and Turkmenistan. Alevism has integrated many diverse religious influences over time, such as ancient Turkish Shamanism. The Bektashi Sufi holy order is a significant element in Alevism. Both Bektashi Alevi and Kizilbaş Alevi revere Hajji Bektash Wali. Turkish is used in Alevi rituals and while worshiping. Shamanism is a range of traditional beliefs and practices that involve the ability to diagnose, cure, and sometimes cause human suffering by traversing the axis mundi and forming a special relationship with, or gaining control over, spirits. ... The Bektashi order is a Sufi religious order (Tarika). ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ... Hunkar Haci BektaÅŸ Veli was a Turkish mystic, humanist and a philosopher who lived approx from 1209-1271 in Anatolia (Turkey). ...

Part of the series on Islam Islam   listen? (Arabic: al-islām) the submission to God is a monotheistic faith, one of the Abrahamic religions, and the worlds second largest religion. ...

Beliefs and practices

Oneness of God Profession of Faith Prayer · Fasting Pilgrimage · Charity

Major Figures

Muhammad · Ali · Abu Bakr Companions of Muhammad Ahl Al-Bayt · Imams Prophets of Islam · Mahdi Image File history File links I made this. ... TawhÄ«d means Oneness and denotes The Oneness of God For Muslims, the oneness of God is the fundamental foundation of absolutely every belief and practice. ... An example of allāhu written in simple Arabic calligraphy Allah (Arabic: allāh) is the Arabic word for God. It is ultimately derived (according to most etymologists) from Proto-Semitic ʾil-, as is Hebrew El. ... See Shahada (India) for the Indian town called Shahada. ... Salah (other terms and spellings exist) (Arabic: صلاه , Old (Quran) Arabic: صلوة ) is one of the Five Pillars of Islam. ... Ramadan or Ramadhan (Arabic: رمضان ) is the ninth month of the Islamic year. ... The Hajj or Haj (Arabic حَجّ Ḥaǧǧ) is the Pilgrimage to Mecca (or, Makkah) and is the fifth of the Five Pillars of Islam in Sunni Islam and is one of the FurÅ« al-DÄ«n in Shia Islam. ... Zakât (or Zakaat or Zakah) (Arabic: زكاة, Old (Quran) Arabic: زكوة) is the third of the Five Pillars of Islam. ... Muhammad is a common male name for Muslims. ... For other uses of the name Ali, se Ali (disambiguation). ... Abu Bakr As Siddiq (Arabic ابو بكر الصديق, alternative spellings, Abubakar, Abi Bakr, Abu Bakar) (c. ... In the Islamic religion, the Sahaba (or Asahaaba,الصحابه; both forms are plural--the singular is Sahaabi, which is Arabic for friend, or companion) are the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. ... This is an Arabic phrase literally translated as People of the House, or family. ... Imam is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... The Quran identifies a number of men as prophets of Islam. ... The Mahdi (also Mehdi or Mihdi), in Islamic eschatology, is a prophecy about a redeemer of Islam, who will change the world into a perfect society just before Yaum al-Qiyamah (the end times). ...

Texts & Law

Qur'an · Hadith · Sira Fiqh · Sharia

Major Divisions

Sunni · Shi'a · Sufism Divisions of Islam

Sociopolitical Aspects

Cities · Architecture Art · Calendar Islamic religious leaders Imamate · Caliphate Women in Islam Islamic feminism Political Islam · Jihad

See Also

Vocabulary of Islam History of Islam Opposition to Islam Index of articles on Islam

The Quran (Arabic: al-qurān literally the recitation; also called Al Qurān Al Karīm or The Noble Quran; or transliterated Quran, Koran, and less commonly Alcoran) is the holy book of Islam. ... Hadith (Arabic: , Arabic pl. ... This article is not about the group of British engineering companies called Sira; see Sira (group of British companies). ... Islamic jurisprudence, Fiqh (in Arabic and Persian: فقه) is made up of the rulings of Islamic scholars to direct the lives of the Muslim faithful. ... Sharia (Arabic: ; also Sharīah, Sharia, Shariah or Syariah) is traditional Islamic law, also known as Allahs Law. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic: سنّة ) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Shia Islam (Arabic: or follower. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is the school of esoteric philosophy in Islam, which is based on the pursuit of spiritual truth as a definite goal to attain. ... The religion of Islam has many divisions, sects, schools, traditions, and related faiths. ... This is a list of cities that various groups regard as holy. ... Islamic architecture is the entire range of architecture that has evolved from Islam as a social, cultural, political and religious phenomenon. ... Mediums of Islamic art Islamic art throughout history has been mainly abstract and decorative, portraying geometric, floral, Arabesque, and calligraphic designs. ... The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar (also called Hijri calendar) is the calendar used to date events in predominately Muslim countries, and used by Muslims everywhere to determine the proper day on which to celebrate Muslim holy days. ... Islamic religious leaders are persons who, as part of the clerisy, mosque, or government, perform a prominent role within their community or nation. ... Imam is an Arabic word meaning Leader. The ruler of a country might be called the Imam, for example. ... Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ... Islamic feminism is a movement that began in the 1990s in response to the growth of Islamism throughout the Islamic world. ... Islam as a political movement has a diverse character that has at different times incorporated elements of many other political movements, while simultaneously adapting the religious views of Islamic fundamentalism, particularly the view of Islam as a political religion. ... Jihad (ǧihād جهاد) is an Islamic term, from the Arabic root ǧhd (to exert utmost effort, to strive, struggle), which connotes a wide range of meanings: anything from an inward spiritual struggle to attain perfect faith to a political or military struggle to further the Islamic cause. ... The following list consists of concepts that are derived from both Islam and Arab tradition, which are expressed as words in the Arabic language. ... The History of Islam involves the history of the Islamic faith as a religion and as a social institution. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ...

People

Alevis can be ethnic Zazas, Turks, Kurds, Turkmen and Azeri with a particular concentration in mid-Eastern Turkey in a belt from Çorum in the West to Muş in the East, and to Ashgabat in Turkmenistan. In the Balkans, especially in Albania there is a further large Alevi-Beaktashi community. There are also many Alevi who have migrated to the large cities of Western and Southern Turkey, as well as to Western Europe, especially Germany. Traditionally, Alevi worship is not conducted in a mosque, but is intimately connected with the dede (elder) and the cemevi (meeting house). Zazas is part of the famous sacred mantra Zazas Zazas Nasatanada Zazas (sometimes Zazas Zazas Natasanada Zazas) of Choronzon (or Noznoroch, the Demon of Dispersion, whose number is 333) in the Jewish Kabbalah. ... Kurds are one of the Iranian peoples and speak Kurdish, a north-Western Iranian language related to Persian. ... The Azeri, also referred to as Azerbaijanian Turks, are a Turkic-Muslim people who live in the Azerbaijan, located in a crossroads between eastern Europe and western Asia. ... Çorum is a town in the Corum Province of Turkey. ... Ashgabat (Turkmenian language Aşgabat; also Ashkabat, Ashkhabad, Ashgabad, in Persian عشق آباد Ashq-abad, in Russian Ашхаба́д Ashkhabád) is the capital city of Turkmenistan, a former Soviet republic. ... The Balkans is the historic and geographic name used to describe southeastern Europe (see the Definitions and boundaries section below). ...

There are also large communities of Alevis in some regions of Iranian Azarbaijan. The town of Ilkhichi (İlxıçı), which is located 87km south west of Tabriz is almost entirely populated by Alevis. For political reasons, one of which was to create a distinct identity for these communities, they have not been called Alevi since the early 20th century. They are called various names, such as Alli Allahi, Ahle Hag and Goran. Groups with similar beliefs also exist in Iranian Kurdistan. Long Live Azerbaijan. ... Tabriz City Hall, built in 1895, by Arfaol molk, with the aid of German engineers. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... Kurdistan is an area in the Middle East, inhabited mainly by the Kurds, covering parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, and Syria. ...

Belief

Alevis have a strong belief in God (Allah) and his last messenger Muhammad. While the Sunnis follow the four caliphs Omar, Uthman, Abu Bakr and Ali, the Alevis follow only one of the caliphs, Ali_ibn_Abi_Talib and his two sons, Imam Hussain and Imam Hassan, just like the Shia Muslims. Modern Alevi theology has been profoundly influenced by humanism and universalism, probably more so than any other school of Islam. An example of allāhu written in simple Arabic calligraphy Allah (Arabic: allāh) is the Arabic word for God. It is ultimately derived (according to most etymologists) from Proto-Semitic ʾil-, as is Hebrew El. ... Muhammad is a common male name for Muslims. ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ... Anglicized/Latinized version of the Arabic word خليفة or Khalifah, is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam. ... People Umar ibn al-Khattab the second caliph of Islam Omar Khayyam - Persian writer, mathematician, astronomer Omar Mukhtar - A freedom fighter from Lybia Mohammed Omar - leader of the Taliban of Afghanistan Omar Bradley - United States general during World War Two. ... For other uses of the name, see Uthman (disambiguation). ... Abu Bakr As Siddiq (Arabic ابو بكر الصديق, alternative spellings, Abubakar, Abi Bakr, Abu Bakar) (c. ... For other uses of the name Ali, se Ali (disambiguation). ... Ali ibn Abu Talib (Arabic: ) (c. ... Husayn ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (c. ... Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abu Talib (c. ... Shiʻa Islam (Arabic شيعى follower; English has traditionally used Shiite) makes up the second largest sect of believers in Islam, constituting about 30%–35% of all Muslim. ... Humanism is a term assigned different and contradictory meanings by different authors at different times. ... Universalism refers to concepts and issues which are said to be universal in appeal —i. ...

Hajji Bektash Wali, who lived in the 13th century, is just one of the Alevi's principal theologians. Yunus Emre and Pir Sultan Abdal are two other teachers. Like the Sufis, the Alevis also use religious music and dance, called semah, to show their belief in Allah. Hunkar Haci BektaÅŸ Veli was a Turkish mystic, humanist and a philosopher who lived approx from 1209-1271 in Anatolia (Turkey). ... (12th century - 13th century - 14th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 to 1300. ... Yunus Emre was a 13th century Turkish poet and mystic, who had an immense influence on Turkish literature. ... Sufism (Arabic تصوف taṣawwuf) is a system of esoteric philosophy commonly associated with Islam. ...

Historical

The Alevis have traditionally been discriminated against and persecuted in the rural areas of East Central Turkey which are their heartland. Their religion is tolerated in Turkey, but while compared to the Sunnis they suffer less state intervention into their internal affairs and the contents of their teaching, they also enjoy considerably less financial and organizational priviledges. The Turkish state has built and financed Sunni mosques in many almost completely Alevi villages and small towns; many Alevis consider this a purposeful humiliation.

Recent History

In the 20th Century, many Alevis became involved in secularist left-wing politics in Turkey, both in the establishment Republican People's Party and parties further to the left, some to the point of left-wing extremism. This meant that Alevis bore the brunt of the anti-leftwing backlash after the military coup of 1980, and of Islamic fundamentalist violence. In the 1980s an ephemeral left-wing organisation called Kızıl Yol (Red Path) announced to struggle for an independent "Socialist People's Republic of Alevistan". The oppression reached its dénouement in Sivas on 2 July 1993, when 36 Alevis and a Dutch anthropologist attending a cultural conference were burned to death in a hotel by Sunni locals. The response from the security forces at the time and afterwards was weak. This began a process of Alevis organising more consciously and more publicly in favour of their own interests, although most still tend to vote for mainstream centre-left and left parties. (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... The Republican Peoples Party (Turkish: Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi or CHP) is a social democratic and secular Turkish nationalist political party in Turkey. ... ... A coup détat, or simply a coup, is the sudden overthrow of a government, usually done by a small group that just replaces the top power figures. ... 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Fundamentalism is a movement to maintain strict adherence to founding principles. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 60s and 70s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ... Sivas is the provincial capital of Sivas Province in Turkey. ... July 2 is the 183rd day of the year (184th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 182 days remaining. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Sunni Islam (Arabic سنّة) is the largest denomination of Islam. ...

Name

The name is derived from the name of Ali. They are not to be confused with the Alawi of Syria, who are another heterodox branch of the Shia (though also named for Ali), with distinct, although related, beliefs. The Alawites form a Middle Eastern religious group prominent in Syria. ... Heterodox literally means pertaining to other doctrines or other worship. ...

External links

• Zaza & Alevis Web Page
• European & German Alevi Federation (German/Turkish) Official website
• Swiss info page
• Turkish info page
• Turkish and English info page
• The Alevi of Anatolia (contains commercial pop-ups)
• Forum for alevi community