Kurdish Alevism

Kurdish Alevism (the Path of God/Truth) refers to the unique rituals, sacred practices, mythological discourses, and socio-religious organizations among Kurds who beleive thay are descended from semi-deific figures, often have deeply rooted in nature veneration, and emphasis Pir Sultan Abdal as their religious symbol. Pir Sultan Abdal was an anti-Ottoman 16th century leader-bard who expressed the thoughts, aspirations and demands of the Alevis in poetry. He was executed for his collaboration with the Safavids, the archenemies of the Ottomans. Turkish Alevis, in contrast, emphasize Haji Bektash (an Islamic scholar, mystic, saint, sayyid, and philosopher from the region of present-day Iran who lived and taught in Anatolia. According to scholar Soner Çağaptay, Alevism is a "relatively unstructured interpretation of Islam". Many teachings are based on an orally transmitted tradition which was formerly kept secret from outsiders. The basis for Alevis' most distinctive beliefs is found in the Buyruks (compiled writings and dialogues of Sufi master Sheikh Safi-ad-din Ardabili, as well as others. Hymns are provided, in the case of Kurdish Alevism, by aforementioned poet Pir Sultan Abdal. Alevis believe in the unity of Allah, Muhammad, and Ali, but this is not regarded as a trinity. Rather, Muhammad and Ali are representations of Allah's light (not of Allah himself) and are neither independent from God nor separate characteristics of Him. Alevis believe in the immortality of the soul and the literal existence of supernatural beings including good angels (melekler) and bad angels (şeytanlar). Unlike the majority of Muslims, Alevis do not regard interpretations of the Quran today as binding or infallible since the true meaning the Quran is a secret that must be taught by a teacher who transmits the teachings of Ali (Buyruk) to his disciples. The Kurdish Alevi population has experienced religious and ethnic discrimination, oppression and forced assimilation which have significantly impacted their identity. Traditionally, the socio-religious structure of Kurdish Alevis consisted of two hereditary social positions; members of the sacred lineage (ocax) and those subordinated to the sacred lineage (taliw). By the end of the 20th century, this system had largely disappeared as the taliw gained greater influence on Alevi religion and cultural identity. In Kurdish Alevism, the taliw majority can only receive religious services from a minority, called sayyid, who can both receive and give. When taliw need divine intervention, the sayyid must journey to the taliw's place of residence. The sayyid can be compared to circuit riding preachers. Raywer (or rêber) is a term used to describe a sayyid who prepares and serves at religious functions and teaches other sayyid. The raywer also has the role of explaining Alevism to laypersons.