The Alevis are a religious minority group in the Middle East, mostly in Turkey. This video (made by a US scholar of religion) is an excellent introduction to Alevism. Or perhaps ethnic Turkish Alevism? Kurdish and Zaza versions also exist.
The Alevis turn out to be a broad religious landscape rather than a specific movement or faith group. They could be described as a heterogenous cluster of nominally Sunni Muslim groups heavily influenced by Shia Islam and Sufi mysticism (which probably strides the Sunni-Shia divide). There are connections to the Bektashi Order and the Kizilbash rebel movement. Conversely, there are no overt connections to the Alawites (except the name), a radical Shia sect mostly based in Syria.
Alevis have continued to redefine their identities throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. They have also been redefined by outsiders. The claim that Alevism is really a primordial form of Shamanism turns out to come from Turkish secular nationalist discourse! Some Alevis emphasize their Muslim identity, while others ("Alevis without Ali") claim to be a separate community altogether and have even been condemned by Turkish president Erdogan himself as dangerous splitters.
As already indicated, Kurdish Alevism is only mentioned in passing and the Zaza version not at all. Years ago, I met a certain person who told me that the Zaza Alevis have a legend according to which they killed Kemal Atatürk somewhere in Kirmanjiye (in reality, Kemal died of natural causes at Istanbul). Maybe next time, bro?
Recommended. Actually!
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