"We have our own beliefs and our own culture which is not what is being taught in schools," said Kose, who says she was ridiculed as a pupil in her religion class as a child because she didn't know how to pray.
"I can't accept them trying to impose a foreign religion on us."
In February Kose won her case in the Turkish Court of Appeals, which would have forced the ministry of education to change the content of the curriculum in religious education classes earlier this month.
But the government has appealed the decision in the Kose case, as it has other cases, saying it does not have the power to alter mandatory religion classes.
"Because religion classes are protected in the constitution there is nothing that can be done right now, it is beyond our authority," said Mustafa Oymak, a spokesman for the ministry.
UNDEMOCRATIC STREAK
Religion classes were introduced in the Turkish constitution after the military coup in 1980 and were created to increase the government's control over religious activities.
Some 27 years later the government exercises strict control over religion through its directorate of religious affairs in Ankara which appoints imams and pays their salaries, even approving sermons for Friday prayers.
When the AK Party voted in favour of changing the constitution to overturn a ban on females wearing the Islamic headscarf at universities, party leaders said they were fighting for personal religious freedom.
But Alevis sense an irony when they hear the ruling party talk about democracy and freedoms.
"When you look at them from the outside you see a democratic party, but all their arguments about freedoms and personal rights is just for their own (constituency)," said Ali Kenanoglu, also fighting a court case to exempt his son from religion classes.
"When it comes to the Alevis, forget it," he said.
Apart from what they claim as assimilation through religious classes, Alevis have also fought to make the state recognize the specificity of their creed.
They would like a share of the religious affairs budget and help with training and paying spiritual leaders, but say any small victory would be meaningful.
"I am hopeful things can change. Even if we get what we want in the court case we have a long way to go, but at least it would be a beginning," said Izzettin Dogan, president of the pro-Alevi Cem Foundation.
