From ‘Sort of Muslim’ to ‘Proud to be Alevi’: The Alevi Religion and Identity Project in UK Schools

The Religion and Identity Project, second generation youth and identity

This lecture is based on collaborative work with my colleague, Dr Umit Cetin and the UK Alevi Federation to address concerns about youth identity. The lecture by Dr Cetin on second-generation suicide provides relevant background. In 2010, we were approached by the committee of the England Alevi Cultural Centre and Cemevi, who asked if we would help them find solutions to the problem of youth suicides, having already consulted police, social, health and welfare services. The committee felt that young people had a ‘negative identity’, did not know much about their religion and were seen as troublemakers. We met with Alevi young people at the community centre to identify their perception of the problem and see if we could assist in any way.

This lecture briefly describes the social origins and settlement of the UK Alevi community as a context for the second generation’s experiences in schools. It explains how Alevi youth identified Alevism lessons in Religious Education classes as the solution to their marginalisation at school and how the Religion and Identity Project was set up as a collaboration between the community, local schools and the University of Westminster to achieve this outcome. The process of designing and introducing the lessons is described, and the project’s success is evaluated.

Persecution in Turkey, Asylum in the UK

Since the Ottoman Empire, Alevis have been persecuted, and Alevism is still not recognised as a distinct religion in Turkey. The generation that migrated to the UK in the late 1980s had experienced the state Turkish Islamic synthesis, which severely impacted Alevi Kurds’ ability to practice their religion. Fear of persecution meant that many individuals presented as secular Muslims or underwent a process of assimilation, especially for the sake of their children. Subsequent generations grew up feeling unsure about their Alevi heritage, religious beliefs and practices, leading to a significant loss of religious content within the community. Alevi Kurds sought asylum in the UK on religious and ethnic grounds, fleeing regions most impacted by massacres targeting Alevis. Whereas the Turkish state viewed Alevi identity negatively, it became positively recognised as the basis for gaining refugee status in Britain. Most newcomers had little knowledge of Alevism due to its prohibition in Turkey, but they felt a sense of relief that they could express their religious and ethnic identities without fear in the UK.

Second Generation’s experience of growing up in the UK

While Aleviness was a positive identity for the first generation in the UK context, it became a burden for the second generation when they had to explain it to outsiders. Parents had high expectations that their children would succeed academically, but many families lived in deprived neighbourhoods with failing schools and limited prospects of integrating into mainstream British society. Instead, like other ethnic and native-born migrant communities, they were systematically pushed into a social position called the ‘rainbow underclass’.

This is characterised by a high risk of underachievement, school dropout or exclusion, ethnic tensions and gang involvement with little prospect of achieving the lifestyle they desired through legitimate means. Whilst many Alevi children coped well at primary school, if they underachieved at secondary school, their parents were unable to help much with schoolwork. The most disaffected of these Alevi young men gave up hope of doing well and dropped out of school or got involved in gangs and anti-social behaviours, which led to their exclusion from school. They gave up on legitimate means of employment, hoping to earn money and status through gang-related activities, but grew disillusioned when this didn’t happen. They distanced themselves from their families and community, too and felt trapped, which explains why some died by suicide. The Religion and Identity Project was established as a community response to these issues in search of a more positive Alevi identity for future generations

Misrecognition, invisibility, marginalisation and confusion about Alevi identity

When we began addressing the problem of youth, we asked Alevi youth about their experiences in schools. They described being invisible and ‘under the radar’ because no one, apart from other Alevis, knew they were Alevi. Instead, it was assumed that coming from Turkey, they were ethnically Turkish and their religion was Sunni Muslim. This misrecognition by teachers and peers made them feel marginalised and excluded from the school community. They explained that they learned about other religions but not their own, and in Religious Education classes, it was assumed they knew about Muslim beliefs. One student described how a teacher did not believe her when she said her religion was Alevism.

The multi-ethnic and multi-religious composition of the neighbourhoods where Alevi children lived made questions about identity and religion inevitable among peers. Most people had never heard of Alevis or Alevism, and it was hard for Alevi youth to explain themselves. They developed the response that they were ‘sort of Muslim’ because it was easier than explaining Alevi beliefs and practices. Some students said they described themselves as Muslim to avoid difficult questions about their own religion. This inability to explain Alevism stemmed partly from the suppression of their religion in Turkey, which meant that their parents did not know enough about their religion to explain it to their children. Although they celebrated festivals and recognised Alevi symbols, they could not define Alevism. At the same time, the identification as Muslim or ‘Sort of Muslim” brought them into tension with Muslim peers, who did not see them following Muslim practices and thought of them as bad Muslims. This could lead to attempts to convert Alevi peers to the correct path or bullying them. Alevi youth felt that if only schools would teach about Alevism, they would understand their religion better, and everyone would benefit. This was the rationale for introducing Alevism lessons in schools.

Legal framework, Religious education in the UK, including minoritised religions

This section explains the law on religious education in England and the process of designing and obtaining lessons approved for teaching in schools. It will show an example of the Key Stage 1 unit and one lesson to give you an idea of what lessons look like for 5-7-year-olds.

It is helpful to explain the legal framework of religious education in English schools because it is often underestimated in secular, multicultural Britain. Christianity is the national religion, and the Church of England has considerable influence in British society. Since the origins of state education, religious education and daily religious assemblies have been compulsory in all state schools. Although religious education was not part of the national curriculum, national guidelines require that 70% of religious education classes focus on Christianity and 30% on the other major world religions. Local Education Authorities appoint Standing Advisory Committees made up of representatives from different faiths and none to approve a locally agreed syllabus. Under the 1996 Education Act, this can include other religions that reflect the beliefs of the local population. This clause enabled the Alevi community to seek permission to include Alevism lessons in schools in that area and could follow the same approval process in other authorities.

Finding materials, learning about and from Alevism

The process of introducing Alevism lessons into the Religious Education curriculum was challenging, and the work, skills and decision-making were shared within the team. The first problem was that there were no existing materials in English. Some materials were available only in Turkish and German and were mainly intended for older students. The content was co-produced by the community, providing information about Alevism and the schools, aligning with national guidelines, and developing age-appropriate teaching activities. Under national Religious Education guidelines, state schools teach it in a non-confessional way so that pupils learn ‘about’ and ‘from’ different religions. Only in faith schools are students taught how to practice their faith. In our lessons, Alevism is presented as a distinct religion, avoiding fixed definitions and prescriptions about relationships with other religions​

The English education system is divided into four key stages by age, and the lessons were planned for key stages 1-3, which cover ages 5-14. To improve the chances of schools adopting the lessons, they had to be in a format that teachers could pick up and use with minimal preparation and prior knowledge of Alevism.

The contents page reproduced here is the digital teaching pack for the KS1 unit for 5-7-year-olds. The pack includes six lessons on the theme of ‘Who Are Alevis?’. It includes an introduction to Alevi beliefs, PowerPoint slides with activities and worksheets for each lesson. Additional teacher notes explain the content, and there are links to further resources. The slides can be easily modified to fit the individual school context and values.

Outcomes for pupils, parents, schools and the wider Alevi community

This section evaluates the impact of the Alevism lessons in the schools where they were taught and how they affected the pupils, parents and the wider, transnational Alevi community. In 2011, the first KS1 lessons were introduced in a primary school in North East London with a growing Alevi population and Alevi pupils in almost every class. The school had not realised their “Turkish” children were Alevi and Kurdish, and identified them as underachieving and sometimes disruptive, so they were keen to be involved to improve their experience. The lessons were taught to all the Key Stage 1 children as part of their compulsory religious education, and teachers were supported by the community and the university in delivering them. Parents were invited to the launch assembly, and Alevi children were very happy to learn about their religion at school. Their behaviour and achievement improved, and parents became more involved in school life. The school received a positive government inspection report, praising the lessons for making Alevi pupils feel included. Parents enjoyed talking about the lessons with their children, too, and some contacted the Federation to learn more about the religion. Alevi parents at other local schools also requested Alevism lessons for their schools.

In 2013, Alevism lessons began at a secondary school in an inner London education authority, where Alevi pupils requested them and helped design and deliver them. The lessons were a great success, and all the classes enjoyed learning about a religion new to them. Alevi students felt a greater sense of belonging and self-confidence in school; now they no longer had to explain their Alevi identity or religion. As a result of the lessons, more students accepted Alevism as a distinct religion, and tensions with Muslim peers eased. Fifteen years on from the first lessons, they are still being taught in individual schools across the country. We have updated the lessons to fit with changes to the curriculum, and they are available on the British Alevi Federation website. The lessons have generated interest in other countries, keen to understand how they were possible and to use them as a model.

The digital teaching pack for the lessons is freely available to the wider public via the British Alevi Federation (BAF) website. This means the materials can be accessed by teachers, parents, and Alevis, and disseminated transnationally. Alevi Federations can also draw on them to teach young people about their religion. Now there are more resources in English, including a series of children’s storybooks about Alevism and The School of Alevism, which was set up by Alevi Youth who produced child-friendly videos by Alevi youth on different aspects of Alevism, all available on YouTube.

Conclusion

The successful introduction of Alevism lessons in UK schools as part of the core curriculum in religious education for all children is a testament to the collaborative work undertaken. Now, second-generation Alevi children feel they have a voice and that their preferred solutions have been put into practice. As a result of learning about Alevism in the lessons, they can situate themselves within the multicultural context confidently as different but equal citizens. There are fewer deaths by suicide among second-generation Alevi young men now, and the community continues to tackle current youth issues. The lessons have legitimised Alevism as a distinct religion and eased tensions among peers.

One student said, “Everywhere we Alevis are a minority, people don’t know about us, but when they learn about Alevism, they accept it, and you get a lot more respect”.