Romani Muslims

Muslim Romani people or Muslim Roma are people who are ethnically Romani and profess Islam. They may also be known as Muslim Gypsies, with some Roma preferring to use the term, not perceiving it as derogatory. They primarily live in the Balkans but are dispersed throughout Europe, with the majority being cultural or nominal Muslims. Significant minorities of Muslim Roma are found in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia. They are also notably present in Crimea, Croatia (where 45% of the country's Romani population is Muslim), Romania,Ana Oprişan, George Grigore
"The Muslim Gypsies in Romania"
, in International Institute for the Study of Islam in the Modern World (ISIM) Newsletter 8, September 2001, p.32; retrieved 2 June 2007 Serbia and Slovenia.

The majority of Muslim Roma in the former Yugoslavia speak Balkan Romani and South Slavic languages, while many speak only the language from the host country's like the Albanized Muslim Roma in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro and North Macedonia, known as ''Khorakhan Shiptari.'' They speak only the Albanian language and have fully adopted the Albanian culture. Turkish Roma are Roma who have fully adopted the Turkish language and culture, although a few also speak the Kurbetcha, Rumelian or Sepečides dialects of Romani. Some Muslims of Romani background in the Balkans do not identify as Romani, and have instead adopted the Turkish or Albanian ethnicities. Others are thought to have adopted the Askhali and Balkan Egyptian ethnicities.

Islam among Romani people is historically associated with their life within the Ottoman Empire. Xoroxane, non-Vlax Romani people who adopted Sunni Islam of the Hanafi madhhab at the time of the Ottoman Empire. Some of them are Derviş of Sufism belief, and the biggest Tariqa of Jerrahi is located at the largest Arlije and Gurbeti Muslim Roma settlement in Europe in Šuto Orizari, locally called ''Shutka'' in North Macedonia have their own Romani Imam and the Muslim Roma in Šuto Orizari use the Quran in the Romani language. Many Romani people in Turkey are members of the Hindiler Tekkesi a Qadiriyya-Tariqa.YÖK Açık Bilim
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Ottoman/Turkish Influence

Under Ottoman Rule, the Christian and Muslim Roma were separated, by the order of Suleiman the Magnificent. Muslim Roma men served in the Military of the Ottoman Empire, especially in the Ottoman military band. Muslim Roma were forbidden to marry Christian Roma or live together, and differences emerged between Muslim and Christian Roma.

Today, some Orthodox Christian Vlax Romani see themself as the ''čáče Roma'' (true Roma) and do not consider Muslim Roma to be part of Romani society and call them Turks. Some Muslim Roma, however, see Christian Roma as foreign and call them Dasikane (Servant, slaves). Also the phrase Amare Roma (Our Roma) and Cudza Roma (foreign Roma) is used vice versa. There is a considerable cultural gap between the two religious groups.

Although Muslim Roma paid a jizya in the first centuries of the Ottoman Empire, an exception were the Muslim Roma in Ottoman Bosnia and Herzegovina, who were exempt from taxes by the order of Selim II. After the Edict of Gülhane , all Muslim Roma became exempt from paying the taxes to the Ottoman Empire and became fully accepted Muslims. In 1874, the Ottoman Empire gave equal rights to other Muslims.

After the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, the Muslim Roma have found themselves under double discrimination in regions where Islam was a minority religion, experiencing both Antiziganism and anti-Muslim sentiment.

At the Greek War of Independence, Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) and Balkan Wars (1912–1913), Muslim Roma flee together with other different Muslim Groups to Istanbul and East Thrace, as Muhacir.

At the Population exchange between Greece and Turkey, Muslim Turkish Roma from Greece have also been resettled in Turkey. In Turkish, they are called Mübadil Romanlar.

In 1950–1951 Muslim Turkish Roma from Bulgaria came to Turkey and settled in Çanakkale and surroundings.

From 1953 -1968, Muslim Turkish Roma and Turks from Yugoslavia emigrated to Turkey.

Because of the relative ease of migration in modern times, Muslim Roma may be found in other parts of the world as well. Turkish Roma from Turkey and also other Muslim Roma from ex-Yugoslavia, came to West Europe as Gastarbeiter, but seen by the Host population as Turks or Yugoslavs. Muslim Roma from Bosnia and Kosovo went at the time of the Yugoslav Wars to Italy, and live especially in Florence. Xoraxane (Muslim Roma) from former Yugoslavia went to USA, settled mostly in New York, and South America. Since 2007, Turkish Roma from Bulgaria went as workers to West Europe.

Faith and status

Most Muslim Roma are Sunni, but they are not exclusively Sunni. For example, there are some Shia Roma communities in Serbia. Turkish Roma are mostly Sunni. Under Ottoman rule, Roma Muslim had a lower social status than non-Roma Muslims, but above that of non-Muslims. However, other Muslim Roma are well-integrated with and accepted by their Muslim non-Roma brothers.

Muslim Roma subgroups

Xoraxane

Xoraxane (also spelled as Khorakhane, Xoraxane, Kharokane, Xoraxai, etc. - meaning Lovers of the Koran) is an antiquated religionym, confessionym, and umbrella term for Muslim Roma in the Balkans or alternatively all Muslim Roma in the Balkans and Turkey similar to how the term Turks was used for non-Turkish Muslims. They are many groups of Xoraxane Roma, named after their old traditional professional activities, also divived in sedentary and nomadic groups. Not all Roma adherents of Islam are considered Xoraxane.

Dress

Muslim Roma women wear silk Dimije also known as Turkish salvar, at weddings, circumcision ceremonies, and other festivals. Even on weekdays, quite a few older women, but also some younger women, wear the şalvar.

Dance and music

Belly dance and Romano Hora (dance), Roman Havaları 8/9 tact, Zurna, Davul, Clarinet are performed. In the Ottoman Empire, especially young handsome Romani Guys were taken as Köçek-Dancers while young Romani female-dancers were named Çengi.

Muslim Roma who practice religious male circumcision, tend to hold their ceremonies (Bijav Suneti) with great pomp and festivity. The boys are often circumcised at the age of five, because the number 5 (panč) is considered a sacred symbol among some Romani people. It is a custom among some Muslim Roma that the prepuce be buried. During the ceremony, the child’s hand and feet are held by his ''Kirvo'' (godfather). A Kirvo pays the cost of the circumcision ceremony. The Tradition of a ''Kirve'' who is similar to a Sandek, is also practised in Alevism and Yazidism in Turkey.

See also

*Arlije
*Gurbeti
*Sepečides Romani
*Zargari tribe
*Kakava
* Turkish Romani

References

Further reading

Roma Muslims in the Balkans
by Elena Marushiakova and Vesselin Popov

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Romani groups
Romani in Albania
Romani in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Romani in Bulgaria
Romani in Croatia
Romani in Kosovo
Romani in North Macedonia
Romani in Turkey
Romani in Greece
Romani in Cyprus
Romani in Romania

Muslims
Muslim communities in Europe