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By Sarah Rainsford
BBC News, Istanbul


In a suburb of Istanbul, hundreds of men and women worship side by side in a hexagonal wood-panelled hall.

Turkey's Alevis say they suffer from official discrimination
A preacher paces the polished floorboards before them clutching a microphone, more Christian evangelist than Imam. Cross-legged on the floor, the crowd sway and shout their response.

Several times during the weekly service, a musician strums on his wooden saz and sings.

It is a long way from the traditional image of Muslims at prayer.

This congregation are Alevis - an unorthodox, liberal branch of Islam. It is estimated that as many as one in five Turks worships this way, although there are no official figures.

Under pressure from the EU, the textbooks were amended recently but remain highly Sunni-centric. The classes themselves are generally taught by Sunni graduates of religious Imam-Hatip schools.

Last year the European Court of Human Rights upheld the right of an Alevi child to opt out of religion classes.

That ruling is still not being applied in Turkish schools - to the frustration of Alevi parents.

EU concerns

But there are some signs of change.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7303536.stm[url][/url]