"German society [...] still does not know much about Alevism"

Herr Korkmaz, you are head of the Alevi Academy in Mannheim. What exactly does the academy do?

Sedat Korkmaz: On the one hand, the academy carries out research into source material. We have sources written in the Ottoman language that are not understood by members of our community for linguistic reasons. These texts are being analysed and translated. The academy also offers basic seminars for young people to enable them to learn what Alevism is and to find out more about their identity.

We are a pan-European organisation. In Austria, we played a leading role in putting together the school curriculum. At the universities of Innsbruck and Vienna, we were involved in establishing courses in Alevi religious education and in the training of religious education teachers.

Many Alevi children and young people don't know a great deal about their religion. Mostly, they are only able to say what Alevism is not. Why is that?

Korkmaz: It is indeed the case that if you ask Alevi children about their faith, they will profess their adherence to Alevism. But if you ask for more details, they are often out of their depth: what is Alevism? Who are the Alevis? Most young people respond to this by saying what they are not: we don't visit mosques, Alevi women don't cover their heads, we don't pray five times a day, we don't fast during Ramadan. By doing this, they're primarily distinguishing themselves from Sunni Muslims. However, it's important that they are also able to be positive and say what Alevism is. But they have trouble doing this because of a lack of religious instruction.

How would you sum up the most important tenets of the Alevi faith?

Korkmaz: For Alevis, it is important that every Alevi, as a layperson, has a particular Pir (cleric). This is a relationship that an Alevi is born into. The Alevis gather in a place of worship that is also called a Cemevi. Women and men take part in the Cem – or the service of worship – together. Every Alevi is obliged to take part in such a service at least once a year, because this is where the confession takes place. In other words, Alevis must render account here on Earth so that they are able to go to God without guilt. The goal is to achieve perfection and recognise God. There are what are known as the "four gates" and the "40 levels" that form a guiding principle and pave the way, so that this perfection is attained. The Alevi is accompanied on this path by the Pir.

We also have a system of elective companionship, called musahiblik, which involves four people – two married couples – taking a vow to accept responsibility for each other for life. This vow remains in force over generations. In other words, it not only links these four people, but also the descendants of the four people – over seven generations. This ensures these families stick together even in difficult times. There are faith elements such as fasting during Muharrem, which is also a period of mourning and which also sets us apart from other branches of the Muslim faith. On the 12 days of mourning in the month of Muharrem, Alevis stay away from any kind of festivities and live in abstinence. This is a period of contemplation and remembrance of the martyrdom of the Imam Hussein in Karbala. The thirteenth day of Muharrem is the most important holy day for Alevis, the Ashura.

In your view, what are the most important written sources of Alevism?

Korkmaz: A number of different books: the Koran, the Buyruk, what's known as the Maqalat and the Velayetname.

It is often said that many of today's Alevis are not at all familiar with written sources that pertain specifically to the Alevi faith.

Korkmaz: Yes, that's right. You have to realise that in the past, these written sources were used exclusively by a closed circle of individuals. Historically, these were first and foremost members of the Alevi clergy. But today we're seeing a new opening up of the faith, and that's why we also need to make these sources accessible to a wider public.

You are calling for a German translation of these written Alevi sources.

Korkmaz: Yes, that's absolutely essential. Thus far, most sources only exist in Arabic, Persian, Turkish or the Ottoman language, which is a language even Turkish native speakers can't read. But German is our working language here. Our children speak German, Alevi religious education is delivered in German, religious education teachers receive their instruction in German, which means we also need these sources to be in German. We need translations that are sound and academically evaluated.

Alevis don't gather in mosques, but in a place known as a Cem. The Dede, or the female equivalent, the Ana, plays an important role in Alevi rituals and instruction. But apart from the Cem, school is also becoming more important. Some 4,000 children and young people now attend classes in Alevi religious education lessons in public schools in Germany. What are the consequences for the Dedes and Anas if some aspects of the Alevi faith are being conveyed in school classrooms?

Korkmaz: The Dedes and Anas are those who pass on and practice the faith, they make up the clergy. They lead the services and they are responsible for the religious instruction of laypeople. Although this tradition is being continued, it is undergoing dramatic changes. It used to be the case that a community would form around a certain cleric. These communities were not attached to a particular locality, but to particular people. The lay families living in different places were visited every year by the cleric. Today, we have congregations that are attached to a particular locality and have what are known as the Cemevi. These are meeting places where there is a committee that decides who leads the service and which duties are to be carried out by the cleric. This slightly reduces the significance of the clergy.

Nevertheless, it is of course very important to maintain the relationship between laypeople and clerics. Simply having ties to the Cemevi isn't enough for me. In Alevism there is a hereditary relationship between a layperson and "his" cleric. This is an integral component of the faith system and has to be maintained. Tuition in schools fulfils the need for religious instruction. After all, we do not have a sufficient number of clergy to take up this voluntary position. This task cannot be managed by the Dedes and Anas alone. The deficit can only be made up together with religious education teachers.

Religious affiliation and religious posts that are inherited? How can this be reconciled with democracy and an individual's freedom of choice?

Korkmaz: We believe that the divine light revealed through the Prophet Mohammed and his son-in-law Ali is continued through this generational chain. That's why this heredity is so important and why we want to maintain it. But we can only maintain the traditional clergy if we at least bring them up to the same intellectual and academic level as those responsible for the training of the new religious education teachers. This means that we really need education and training measures for the clergy too.

Seminars for prospective Alevi religious education teachers have been held for some time now at the Weingarten University of Education. In Hamburg, a Professor for Alevism and Dialogue was recently appointed: Dr. Handan Aksunger delivered her inaugural lecture in late January 2015. What are your expectations of the newly established professorship?

Korkmaz: It is highly gratifying that a professorship has also been established for Alevi theology. This milestone in Alevi–German history has so far not received much attention from the public. Of course, the value of this professorship is much greater for the Alevis than for German society as a whole, which still does not know much about Alevism. But for Alevis themselves, theology is no longer a matter of course. The politically left-wing movement within Alevi society has increasingly distanced itself from the religion. For this reason, many Alevis today associate Alevism more with universal values than with the actual faith itself.

In this respect in particular, we now expect this professorship to look for answers to these questions. Academic religious study can provide clarification, facilitate work within the communities, provide young people with guidance and strengthen the clergy in their work.

Apart from that, through this work, interfaith dialogue is a field that will certainly be promoted to the required extent as part of the process of Alevi–Christian dialogue. There is still a great deal of catching up to do in this area too. Meeting all these expectations certainly won't be easy. But Frau Aksunger has the confidence of all the different Alevi organisations.

The Alevi community in Germany is riven with profound political differences, and as far as its religious organisation is concerned, Alevism here is anything but united. Can one single professorship for Alevi theology do justice to this diversity?

Korkmaz: We can't avoid a certain standardisation, among other things because of the limited material resources available. Some things will certainly be lost or pushed into the background as a result. We should try to preserve at least some elements of our oral tradition. The orientation of the Kizilbas, the main orientation of the Alevis, will certainly have a formative influence on the standardisation. In view of the huge number of academic questions that need to be researched and answered, one single professorship is, of course, inadequate. But it's important that we begin this work. I'm sure that the theology will provide answers to many questions. Not least, our young people will learn to be able to explain their belief system without the primary need to distinguish themselves from other faiths or to have to compete with other faiths.

Interview conducted by Martina Sabra

© Qantara.de 2015

Translated from the German by Nina Coon