(Weekly Standard) Stephen Schwartz - Erdogan has turned his frustrations over Syria against Turkey's heterodox Alevi religious community. Beginning last year, AKP leaders including Erdogan accused Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the Alevi leader of Erdogan's main political opponents, the secularist Republican People's party (CHP), of support for Assad, and alleged "sectarian solidarity" between Turkish Alevis and Syrian Alawites. Kilicdaroglu has been outspoken in his condemnation of Erdogan's alienation from Israel but has argued against military intervention in Syria. Turkish and Kurdish Alevis have almost nothing in common with Syrian Alawites. The similarity of their names is misleading; Alevis and Alawites both honor Ali Ibn Abi Talib, the cousin and son-in-law of Muhammad and the fourth caliph to succeed the Muslim prophet. The contrast between the Arabic-speaking Alawites and the Turkish-Kurdish Alevis could not be clearer to those who know the latter. Where the Alawites are esoteric, Alevism is an enthusiastically public faith. Its religious songs and texts are published and widely distributed. Alevi women not only are treated as equal to men, but take a leading role in Alevi rituals.
2012-03-30 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive