Alawite

:Note: The terms Alawi and Alevi, although related, refer to different religious groups, the latter based in Turkey.

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The Alawites form a Middle Eastern religious group prominent in Syria.

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Alawites call themselves Alawi (). They take their name from Ali, the cousin and son-in-law of the prophet Muhammad. The term Alawi was recognized by the French when they occupied Syria in 1920. Historically the Alawites have been called Nusairis, Namiriya, and Ansariyya. The term Nusayri became one of abuse, and they themselves preferred to be called Alawis to show their reverence for Ali. To avoid confusion, this article uses the modern term.

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Alevi: Alevis are adherents of a branch of Islam, related to Shia Islam and practised mainly in (majority Sunni) Turkey, among both Turks, Zazas, and Kurds....

Turkey: The Republic of Turkey or Turkey (Turkish: T?rkiye), is a bicontinental country that is located mainly in the Middle East (Southwest Asia) and partly in Southeast Europe; The Anatolian peninsula comprises most(97%) of its territory, and is situated between the Black Sea on the north and the Mediter...

Middle East: The Middle East (also called Southwestern Asia) is a region comprising the lands that extend from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. The Middle East is a subregion of Africa-Eurasia, or more specifically, Asia, and sometimes North Africa and Afghanistan....