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The Alevi, Turkey's largest religious minority are Muslims who fuse Shiite Islam with Sufism and Shamanism. Rather controversially they are also followers of Ali – the son -in-law of the Prophet Muhammad.

The Turkish government continues to reject recognition of Alevi ‘Cemevis' as places of worship, despite several recent rulings taken by the European Court of Human Rights instructing Turkey to do so. The Alevi see this as a refusal of religious freedom by the Turkish authorities toward them and other religious minorities making up the country's rich diversity.

Dale Gavlak meets Alevi leaders who are concerned that the Turkish authorities are trying to impose a Sunni majority agenda on them by not allowing them to register their places of worship, nor permit their version of Islam to be taught in government schools, where right now, the compulsory teaching of Sunni Islam takes place.

The Alevi are a distinct, colourful, poetic faith within Turkey. Heart and Soul explores the community and in doing so highlights their difficulties in establishing their role in a changing Turkish society.

The Producer and Reporter for Heart and Soul was Dale Gavlak

Photo: The spiritual Alevi dancers. Credit: Dale Gavlak