What do Alevis celebrate?

Many Alevis celebrate the life of the sixteenth-century saint, Pir Sultan Abdal, a symbol for community cooperation and opposition to injustice. Until relatively recently Alevis survived by living in remote areas.

Does Turkish drink alcohol?

Turkey is a secular country and even though most of the population is Muslim, the consumption of rakı which is an alcoholic beverage is a significant part of Turkey’s food culture. Alcohol consumption was practiced widely in the Ottoman Empire.

Is Alevi Shia?

Alevis follow a belief system that incorporates aspects of both Shi’a and Sunni Islam and draws on the traditions of other religions found in Anatolia as well. Alevis in Central Anatolia base their beliefs on 12er Shi’ism.

Does Alevi pray?

In Alevi society men and women pray together in the same room. The place where Alevi people pray is called a Cemevi in Turkish. It is similar to a church. Once or twice a year the whole community gets together to pray and discuss social issues.

Do Alevis visit mosques?

The Sunni faith also differs from Alevism in the following ways: (1) Alevis fast during the Ten Days of Muharram and not during Ramadan (World Directories of Minorities 1997, 380); (2) Alevis do not prostrate themselves during prayer (ibid.); (3) Alevis do not go to mosques, but use cemevleri that are also used as …

What happened to the Alevis and the Kurds?

Hundreds of Alevi Kurds were killed and thousands were forced to live in mountains in poverty. “The Turks added Kurds and Greeks to their genocidal plans in the massacring of Armenians,” according to the scholar Shahkeh Yaylaian Setian. “The Kurdish attempt at independence in the Kocgiri revolt in 1919-1921 was answered with avenging massacres.”

Who are the Alevis in Turkey?

Thus, Alevis constitute the largest religious minority in Turkey. Technically they fall under the Shi’a denomination of Islam, yet they follow a fundamentally different interpretation than the Shi’a communities in other countries. They also differ considerably from the Sunni Muslim majority in their practice and interpretation of Islam.

How do Alevis differ outwardly from Sunni Muslims?

Alevis differ outwardly from Sunni Muslims in the following ways: they do not fast in Ramadan but do during the Ten Days of Muharram (the Shi’a commemoration of Imam Husayn’s martyrdom); they do not prostrate themselves during prayer; they do not have mosques; and do not have obligatory formal almsgiving,…

What are the 4 groups of Alevis?

Linguistically, they consist of four groups: Azerbaijani Turkish, Arabic, Turkish and Kurdish (both Kormanje and Zaza). The last two categories constitute the largest Alevi groups. Politically, Kurdish Alevis have faced the dilemma of whether their primary loyalty should be to their ethnic or religious community.