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The Alevi and
Alawi are
two different Shia
sects sharing common name. The Alevis
are concentrated in Turkey. The Alawis
are concentrated in Syria.
Alevis are followers of the Ithna Ashari
orTwelvers, a Shia sect. Belief in
God is varied. Though some accept
the idea of a personal creator, many
believe that God is merely the good
in man. This is expressed by the Alevi
saying "insan Hakta Hak insanda"
(man is in God, God is in man).
The Alevis recognize Hadrat Ali as the
first caliph and his two sons, Imam
Hussain and Imam Hassan, as Imams.
Though expressing belief in the Qur'an,
most Alevis in Turkey reject concepts
like polygamy, jannah (Turkish: cennet)
and jahannam (Turkish: cehennem),
salah (Turkish: namaz), fasting (Turkish:
oruç), and hajj (Turkish: hac).
Traditionally, Alevi worship is not
conducted in a mosque, but is intimately
connected with the dede (elder), cem
(a gathering), and the cemevi (meeting
house).
Hajji Bektash Wali, who lived in the
13th century, is just one of the Alevi's
principal theologians. Yunus Emre
and Pir Sultan Abdal are two other
teachers. Like the Sufis, the Alevis
also use religious music and dance,
called semah, to show their belief
in Allah. Modern Alevi theology has
been profoundly influenced by humanism
and universalism. Thus, while many
of the older generation view Alevism
as a religious belief, many of the
younger generation prefer to term
it a philosophy. In Turkey, there
is an ongoing discussion about whether
Alevism is part of Islam or not.
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