Alevi community

40'000 to 50'000 Alevi live in Switzerland, most of them been of Turkish origin.

The first Swiss Alevi’s association was created in Basel in 1992. The founding members understood Alevism like an Islamic cultural community. However, despite some Islamic elements, you can also find christianity influences in the Alevi conception at its beginnings.

Alevism is however perceived in a diverse way by its adepts. For some, it’s a philosophy, for others it’s a way of leaving or a way of organising the society and other again it will be the real Islam. Today, only a part of Swiss Alevi considers themselves again as Islamic.

In Switzerland, there are 14 independent local Alevi communities.11 of them belongs to the umbrella Alevi organisation.