ARTICLE SPRING 2010
Necdet Subaþý
T
Alevi opening: new margins, new values
urkey has recently launched a new initiative to address the Alevi issue as part of a greater set of accelerated moves towards democratization. The overall goal of the initiative is to make sure that Alevis' demands are considered and reviewed by the state. To this end, a series of workshops was held; the first of the series took place with the participation of Alevi delegates (June 3-4, 2009, Ankara), whereas the second was attended by academics (July 8, 2009, Ýstanbul) and the third by theologians (Aug. 19, 2009, Ankara). A fourth workshop was held in Ankara with the participation of representatives of civil society organizations on Sept. 30, 2009, and the fifth with the participation of media representatives in Ýstanbul on Nov. 11, 2009. Subsequent to a session drawing participation from former and current deputies in Ankara on Dec. 17, 2009, a mixed workshop was held with the participation of some delegates who had already participated in the previous meetings, on Jan. 28-30, 2010. A detailed description of Alevism and its historical dynamics is essential for the sake of understanding the fundamental issues discussed at these meetings and whether the workshops will become useful. Alevis are considered Muslims incorporating some unique features of the Anatolian region where Islam emerges in the forms of Sunnism and Alevism. The Sunni tradition has survived based on normative assets including written sources, while Alevism has been conveyed to the next generation through oral narratives. It is possible to refer to some common aspects of Alevism and Sunnism; however, it would not be fair to argue that they appear to be an integrated part. Because of their religious emphases that openly exclude each other and their attitudes, rituals and reference systems, Sunnism and Alevism seem to be two distinct traditions. Alevism is still alive with features borrowed from different religions, faiths, belief systems and schools of thought including Islam. While it is open to contact with other faiths and views, Alevism should be regarded as the synthesis of all these interactions. Research confirms that the authentic core of Alevism bears traces of a number of faiths including Islam, Christianity, Shamanism and Buddhism. It is important to note that Islam serves as the main mould for this amalgam. The difficulties encountered in defining
Turkey has recently launched a new initiative to address the Alevi issue as part of a greater set of accelerated moves towards democratization. To this end, a series of workshops were held. These workshops were expected to lay out a roadmap, to agree on a set of solutions, to create a fertile ground between the state and the Alevis, to determine the short-term steps and take action to implement the agreed measures, to address the expectations of the general public and to make sure that the resolution of the problems that the Alevis encounter in their daily lives is viewed as a necessity by the entire nation
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ering this theological and political background focusing on Ali. Even though it has transferred some features from Shiism, which emerged from the unconditional loyalty to the political and religious charisma of Ali, it could be argued that Alevism has created a path of its own. Above all, Alevism cannot be regarded as a religious tradition shaped by urban experiences. This is a pretty new state of affairs. The religious imagination of nomadic Turks found some useful themes in Alevism. It is important to recall that Turks made their first contact with Islam through the messengers putting special emphasis upon Ali and that their Islamic understanding has been greatly influenced by this reference. Alevism parted ways with the Sunni and Shiite interpretations of Islam at the beginning; however, it never disconnected with these traditions. In fact, this contact is a dominant characteristic of its syncretic nature. Likewise, Alevism managed to create an amalgam of pre-Islamic religious traditions and Islamic features. Islam, which remained as the major source of its character, has also generated a sphere of faith open to different faiths and religious traditions. Alevism has undergone huge transformations over the centuries. The transformation was so huge that the Alevi tradition has moved from a mystical pantheism to a materialist pantheism. For this reason, what distinguishes Alevis, who are considered by neither the Sunnis nor the Shiites as proper Muslims, is the difference in the ways they perform
the basic characteristics of Alevism are mostly due to the fact that the said feature of this unique group is ignored in relevant discussions. Alevis are dispersed all over the Anatolian region. Because the official establishment does not allow the declaration of a religious identity in Turkey, it is not possible to predict the exact number of Alevis. However, based on some simulations and analyses, scholars generally agree that this figure ranges between 7 and 10 million. Alevis, on the other hand, argue that there are 20 million Alevis in Turkey. These figures the different sides would like to rely on are significant considering that such assumptions give some insight into the probable approaches of different actors vis-à-vis the problem; to this end, the political mystery the figures bear cannot be ignored. Understandable Alevi diversity It should be noted that the dispersed nature of Alevism allows some sort of diversity caused by understandable reasons in the Anatolian region. The dominant approach makes reference to the linkage and correlation started by the conversion of the Turks to Islam. It is interesting to observe that not only the Alevis but also the Sunnis of Turkey and Turkish communities that embraced Islam as it is framed mostly by the perspective that Ali and his followers generated in the history of Islam show a special connection and affinity with Ali that may not be observed in other Muslim communities. The Alevi issue cannot be resolved without consid89
The first of the Alevi workshops took place with the participation of Alevi delegates in Ankara on June 3-4, 2009. State Minister Faruk Çelik (on the left at the central table) headed this first workshop PHOTO: ALÝ ÜNAL