ALEVIS

Alevis are a heterodox form ofIslaminTurkeythat some would consider beyond the Islamic pale. They are also referred to asQizilbash, or Red Heads, for the distinctive red turbans they historically wore. Alevi beliefs are a mixture of pre-Islamic,Zoroastrian,Turkomanshaman, and Shia ideas and beliefs. The Alevis share many common tenets with theAhl-i Haqqreligion, such as the veneration of the Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali.Along with theYezidis, these threereligionsare also sometimes referred to as theCult of Angels.

Thejam(cam) is the main religious observance of both Alevis and the Ahl-i Haqq and takes the place of the mosque as the religious gathering place. Both also use the termpirfor their religious leaders. Orthodox Muslims sometimes accuse Alevis of sexual promiscuity based on the erroneous belief that Alevis share their women at their communal religious ceremony of blowing the candle out.

Historically, theQizilbashsupported the SafavidPersianshah Ismail and constituted a large part of his army when he advanced against theOttomansin the early 1500s. Thus the Sunni Ottomans saw theQizilbashas bitter enemies and killed as many as 40,000 after their victory at theBattle of Chaldiranin 1514. TheQizilbash, however, survived, and at least 10 percent of the population in Turkey today is Alevi, with claims as high as 30 percent.

The termQizilbashis an epithet of abuse in modern Turkey. They are sometimes persecuted by the Sunni majority, and thus Alevis tend to espouse leftist causes. The Alevis were the main victims of the deadly riots that killed several hundred in Kahramanmaras in southeastern Turkey on Christmas Day in 1978. ManyZazaspeakers in Turkey are Alevis and constitute a majority in the province ofDersim, now calledTunceli. Alevi Kurds in Turkey are a minority within a minority.