Dönme

Dönme (read dœnmé - in the Othoman language avdetî ) is a Turkish word used to express a religious conversion.

In Turkey the term refers more specifically to a group religious of Jewish origin, but practitioner outside Islam since the XVIIe century, and always existing at the beginning of XXIe century. Terms Selanikli (those which are of Thessalonique), or Sabbatéens (of the name of Sabbataï Tsevi, their inspirer) are also used. “The Dönme themselves prefer to be called ma' mīnīm (believers)”.

Contrary to the marranes Spanish, whose Jewish religion was exclusive, and for which adhesion external with the Christian faith was forced by repression, the founders of the sect thus voluntarily adopted Islam, considering that double fastening with the Judaism and Islam was a divine command.

The religion that they practice has an external Moslem appearance. They “follow the regulations of Islam openly, including the fast of the Ramadan and request in the mosques”. Nevertheless, there exists a religious layer, which is revealed only within the community, and or the Jewish practices are always fundamental, thus, “they circoncissent their sons at the eight days age”.
Have regard with the secret character of the religious teaching of the group, and to the absence of public claim of any otherness with respect to the Turkish environment and Moslem, it is in any assumption difficult to know well the position of the last three century old followers on these questions of identity. Marc Baer notes that modern historiography (Greek, Jewish or Turkish) generally regards Sabbatéens as Jews of a very particular type, but itself regard them as a group from now on with share, and notes that “the Dönme were not the subject of an important academic work concerning the beginning of the twentieth century in the Othoman company. The name even of Dönme , given by the environment Turkish, indicates that the Jewish origin of this group of “Moslems” was not forgotten. This situation and these suspicions however did not involve great specific persecutions.

As of the end of 19th century, the good integration of the Dönme with their surround turco-Moslem (from which they were not distinguished outside) an increase in the mixed marriages involved. The rate/rhythm of the assimilation rather largely was connected to the social status, richest and the most educated at the same time most laic, being best integrated, and into final more brought to marry outside the community.

The first to know this phenomenon, at the end of the 19th century, were the Izmirli , because they were also the richest group and best integrated. One indeed finds among them large merchants and important bankers

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