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Alevis (Turkish: Aleviler Kurdish: Elewî) are a religious, sub-ethnic and cultural community in
Turkey numbering in the millions. (See "Demographics" for various population estimates.)
Alevi worship takes place in assembly houses (cemevi), not in mosques. The ceremony (âyîn-i
cem, or simply cem) features music and dance (semah), which symbolize the putting off of one’s
self and uniting with God. In Alevism, men and women are regarded as equals, and pray side by
side.
Key Alevi principles include:
• Love and respect for all people (“The important thing is not religion, but being a human
being”)
• Tolerance towards other religions and ethnic groups (“If you hurt another person, the ritual
prayers you have done are counted as worthless”)
• Respect for working people ("The greatest act of worship is to work”)
Some consider Alevism a type of Shi'a Islam (and specifically, of Ithna-'Ashariyya with the Zaydi
qualification), since Alevis accept Shi‘i beliefs about Imam Ali and the Twelve Imams. Many
Alevi, however, are uncomfortable describing themselves as Shi‘i, since there are major
differences in philosophy, customs, and rituals from the prevailing form of Shi‘ism in modern
Iran.
Alevism is also closely related to the Bektashi Sufi lineage, in the sense that both venerate Hajji
Bektash Wali (Hacibektaş Veli), a saint of the 13th century. Many Alevis refer to an "Alevi-
Bektashi" tradition, but this identity is not universally accepted, nor is the combined name used by
non-Turkish Bektashis (e.g., in the Balkans).
In addition to its religious aspect, Alevism is also closely associated with Anatolian folk culture.
The Kurdish and Turkish languages (not Arabic) are generally used in Alevi rituals.
Modern Alevi theology has been profoundly influenced by humanism and universalism. During
the 1960s, many younger Alevis came to conceive of Alevism in non-religious terms, with some
even relating it to Marxism. The 1990s brought a new emphasis on Alevism as an ethnic or
cultural identity. Alevi communities today generally support secularism after the Kemalist model,
partly out of mistrust of majoritarian religiosity.
Alevis in Khorasan, Armenia and Azerbaijan speak dialects of Kurmanji or Zazaki. Various
groups with similar beliefs exist in Northwestern Iran and Northern Iraq, including the Ibrahimi,
Sarliyya, Kakai, Shabaks and Ahl-e Haqq. Drawn primarily from minority populations of Kurds,
such groups are often grouped together under the controversial umbrella term of "ghuluww"
("extremism") referring to their tendency to attribute divinity to human beings such as ‘Ali.
The Name
Zulfiqar, a stylized representation of the sword of Ali.
"Alevi" is generally explained as referring to 'Ali--the cousin, son-in-law, and fostered son of the
Islamic prophet Muhammad. In Turkish, the affix -evi means "of" or "pertaining to"; hence,
"followers of 'Ali". On this reading it would be a cognate with the Arabic Alawi علوي. However,