Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en Grèce

In South-Eastern Europe, Alevism and Bektashism constitute two tightly connected religious movements whose roots go down to the Ottoman history of this area. This branch of Islam belongs to Sufi traditions, integrates elements of Shiism as well as various influences, among which shamanism. In Greece...

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Main Author: Isabelle Dépret
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Centre d'Études Balkaniques 2017-07-01
Series:Cahiers Balkaniques
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/ceb/8887
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author Isabelle Dépret
author_facet Isabelle Dépret
author_sort Isabelle Dépret
collection DOAJ
description In South-Eastern Europe, Alevism and Bektashism constitute two tightly connected religious movements whose roots go down to the Ottoman history of this area. This branch of Islam belongs to Sufi traditions, integrates elements of Shiism as well as various influences, among which shamanism. In Greece, alevism-bektashism still exists in Western Thrace, in a Turkish-Bulgarian-Greek cultural environment. A few alevi communities live especially in mountainous villages, in the North of the Xanthi and Evros administrative circonscriptions. Cultivating a community memory, the Alevis of Western Thrace seem to be torn today between withdrawal, assimilation to sunnism, secularization and revitalization of cross-border networks. As a minority within the “Muslim minority” of Thrace, this religious group is little known in Greece. Greek social sciences scholars who followed, in this respect, the readings of prominent 19th-20th centuries European Orientalists have often studied this group under the prism of christianism. Long ignored or despised as a specific community, the Western Thrace bektashis are also directly in contact with Turkish nationalism – promoted by local or international protagonists – and with newly revitalized Alevi networks. A school clash in an alevi – and predominantly Pomak – village enables us to examine the interplay of religious identity and otherness, national narratives and political strategies. This case study – in which local, national and foreign policy factors are intertwined – reminds us that Islam has remained a highly sensitive issue in Greece.
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spelling doaj-art-7e4f1cf95b7e4f6bbbac6f6a9a27a4092025-08-20T03:47:44ZengCentre d'Études BalkaniquesCahiers Balkaniques0290-74022261-41842017-07-014310.4000/ceb.8887Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en GrèceIsabelle DépretIn South-Eastern Europe, Alevism and Bektashism constitute two tightly connected religious movements whose roots go down to the Ottoman history of this area. This branch of Islam belongs to Sufi traditions, integrates elements of Shiism as well as various influences, among which shamanism. In Greece, alevism-bektashism still exists in Western Thrace, in a Turkish-Bulgarian-Greek cultural environment. A few alevi communities live especially in mountainous villages, in the North of the Xanthi and Evros administrative circonscriptions. Cultivating a community memory, the Alevis of Western Thrace seem to be torn today between withdrawal, assimilation to sunnism, secularization and revitalization of cross-border networks. As a minority within the “Muslim minority” of Thrace, this religious group is little known in Greece. Greek social sciences scholars who followed, in this respect, the readings of prominent 19th-20th centuries European Orientalists have often studied this group under the prism of christianism. Long ignored or despised as a specific community, the Western Thrace bektashis are also directly in contact with Turkish nationalism – promoted by local or international protagonists – and with newly revitalized Alevi networks. A school clash in an alevi – and predominantly Pomak – village enables us to examine the interplay of religious identity and otherness, national narratives and political strategies. This case study – in which local, national and foreign policy factors are intertwined – reminds us that Islam has remained a highly sensitive issue in Greece.https://journals.openedition.org/ceb/8887GreeceThraceTwenty first centuryHeterodox IslamAlevismBektachism
spellingShingle Isabelle Dépret
Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en Grèce
Cahiers Balkaniques
Greece
Thrace
Twenty first century
Heterodox Islam
Alevism
Bektachism
title Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en Grèce
title_full Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en Grèce
title_fullStr Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en Grèce
title_full_unstemmed Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en Grèce
title_short Islam hétérodoxe et christianisme en Grèce
title_sort islam heterodoxe et christianisme en grece
topic Greece
Thrace
Twenty first century
Heterodox Islam
Alevism
Bektachism
url https://journals.openedition.org/ceb/8887
work_keys_str_mv AT isabelledepret islamheterodoxeetchristianismeengrece