Turkey’s Alevi community, a large religious minority with a population estimated between 15 to 20 million people, has been historically discriminated against. However, the upcoming presidential elections in Turkey have given renewed hope to Alevis as the Alevi presidential candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, faces off against incumbent Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 14.
The Cemevi, or the house of gathering, in the town of Pazarcik in southern Turkey has been heavily damaged by the earthquakes that occurred in February. The Alevi prayer house now serves as a place of storage for aid supplies. The Pazarcik Cemevi, originally built with funds raised through the sale of tea and coffee at weddings of the Alevi diaspora in Switzerland, is not the only Alevi prayer house damaged by the earthquakes. While the mosques damaged by the earthquakes will be rebuilt, there is no rebuilding in sight for Alevi prayer houses.
Alevism is a syncretic religion that combines philosophy, Gnosticism, Sufism, and Christianity. Alevis regard themselves neither as Sunnis nor Shias. They pray for the 12 imams at each gathering, with the icons of the 12 imams portrayed above a platform at the far end of the room, along with Ali, the prophet Muhammad’s cousin and son-in-law, and Muhammad’s descendants.
Alevis also respect Haci Bektas Veli, a revered 13th-century Turkish philosopher and founder of the Bektashi Order, and Ataturk, founder of the Turkish Republic and champion of secularism. The Alevi faith is passed down orally, with no book to follow. Alevis do not pray five times per day, nor do they go on pilgrimage to Mecca. They do not observe Ramadan and do not ban alcohol. Every Thursday, a ceremony called the Cem is presided by a dede, or a religious leader, during which men and women gather to pray. At the end of the ceremony, devotees perform a dance called Semah accompanied by music played on a Saz, a traditional string instrument.
Alevis have been regarded as apostates, miscreants, and followers of Islamic fanaticism in Turkey since the rule of the Ottoman empire, and have been persecuted for their faith. They have been the victims of several pogroms, including the 1978 Maras massacre, during which over a hundred Alevi Kurds were killed and more than 500 injured by neofascist groups, and the 1993 Sivas massacre, which left 37 people dead, including 33 Alevis. Despite making up an estimated 20 percent of the population, the Alevi community in Turkey continues to face death threats and attacks for not observing Ramadan, and their houses are often marked with a cross.
Hasan Husevin Degirmenci, the president of the local Alevi Cultural Association in Pazarcik, survived the 1978 Maras massacre. He noted that the fight was mainly between left and right wingers, communists and neofascists from Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party, but armed groups took it out on Alevis. They killed children, eviscerated pregnant women, and reinvented history by pitting Sunnis against Alevis.
The struggle for equality and recognition for the Alevi community continues. The main rule of Alevism is justice, which means not doing unto others what you do not want done unto you. However, even with the upcoming elections, there is no guarantee that the Alevi community will be given the equal rights and protection that they deserve. Nonetheless, the resilience of the Alevi community serves as a testament to their strong will.
SOURCE: Ref – Assiya HAMZA
Images: google images
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