Religion, Migration and Social Capital: The Case of Kurdish Alevis in the UK

Drawing on a qualitative study with Kurdish Alevi diaspora  members of diverse age, gender, political affiliation and class in London, this paper examines the relationship between social capital, migration and Alevi faith and Alevi organisations in the UK. The Alevis constitute the second largest faith community in Turkey and are a heterogeneous community with a range of different ethnic, cultural, political and linguistic backgrounds. Due to their faith, Alevis have been subjected to discrimination and suppressed during the rule of Ottoman Empire and the period of a Turkish Republic. Until the 1970s, the majority lived in rural areas and practiced their beliefs secretly. However the urbanization, migration and political polarization of the Alevi community since the 1970s and in particular since the 1990s, and the global rise of identity politics have contributed to a shift to a publicly-expressed identity with demands for the constitutional recognition of Alevi faith in Turkey and equal status with dominant Sunni Muslim. Due to migration, Alevis (mainly Kurdish Alevis) constitute a significant population in Western countries where they have established their religious and political transnational organisations and networks. The reconstruction of Alevi identity, tradition and belief along with a strong transnational mobilisation has led to a ‘revival of Alevism’ in Western countries including the UK. This paper contributes to four threads of scholarship: Diaspora, ethnicity, religion and social capital. The focus on these threads is intended to develop a theoretically informed link between faith, migration and social capital. Performing a religion is not only a psychological relief or spiritual capital but is also about having opportunities to access material resources, skills, social support and multiple types of solidarity. I argue that these aspects provide a good ground to conceptualize diasporic Alevi faith as a form of social capital for Alevis in the UK.