Alevism | Alevi
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Femicide in TurkeyWhere is Gülistan Doku?
Years after a young Kurdish woman's femicide, new probes have led to arrests. The suspects are sons of civil servants. The case ignited a Turkish debate on state failure and alleged cover-up. Yet the wider issue of anti-Kurdish violence remains sidelined.
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Alcohol in Iran, Turkey and the USAAre all taboos justified?
Iran's ban on alcohol has led to a rise in methanol poisonings, revealing the deadly side of prohibition. The situation mirrors past failures in the U.S. and contrasts with more lenient policies in countries like Turkey. By Niloofar Gholami
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Turkey election falloutErdogan no winner, despite opposition defeat
The Turkish opposition was defeated in the run-off, with candidate Kemal Kilicdaroglu failing to unseat long-time ruler Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will rule the country for another five years. But the president is hardly the winner. Ayse Karabat reports from Istanbul
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Islam and toleranceAlbania's Bektashi Muslims
In Albania, where most Muslims live a pretty secular life, it would seem that praying and drinking go hand-in-hand. Nevertheless, over a hundred Albanians still went to fight for Islamic State. By Karin A. Wenger with photos by Philipp Breu
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Mass expropriation in SyriaHow Assad is preventing the return of refugees
The Syrian war has moved through many phases and included a number of changing actors. But one aspect has remained constant throughout: the Assad regime is using the conflict to rid the nation once and for all of what it considers to be undesirable demographic groups. By Stefan Buchen and Sulaiman Tadmory
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Turkish incursion into northern SyriaYou reap what you sow
Many Turks, at home and abroad, feel misunderstood. The Syrian offensive is intended to ease matters and does not constitute ethnic cleansing, they claim. They also say there is no racism in Turkey. This is a misrepresentation of the situation, says Tayfun Guttstadt in his contribution to the debate
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Attack on opposition leader KilicdarogluReturn of the lynch mob in Turkey?
Turkish opposition party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu was attacked by an angry mob in public and nearly killed – the latest in a spate of such violence. What does the incident say about the political culture in the country? By Burcu Karakas
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Criticising ErdoganDon't romanticise the Kemalist legacy!
The narrative of an "enlightened" and generally democratic Turkey, a country that is currently in the process of being destroyed by Erdogan, should not go unchallenged, says Tayfun Guttstadt
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The Kurdish peopleNishtiman music project: Transcending what divides
They come from Iraq, Iran and Turkey; some live at home, others in exile – all, however, are Kurds. The musicians of the Nishtiman ensemble have a mission – to restore the cultural integrity of their homeland. By Stefan Franzen
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Churches in Syria after the fall of East AleppoTime for a new beginning
Christian Churches in Aleppo have welcomed the government troops' victory. But after five years of war, it is important that they abandon the paradigm that the Assad regime is the protector of religious minorities and work tirelessly to overcome the religious divide. By Claudia Mende
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Mother-tongue instruction in multi-ethnic IranLinguistic diversity as opportunity
Iran is a state of many ethnicities where over a dozen languages are spoken, including, among others, Persian, Baluchi, Luri, Arabic, and Turkish. Unfortunately, the country’s education policy does not take account of this linguistic diversity. By Manutschehr Amirpur
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Interview with Sedat Korkmaz"German society [...] still does not know much about Alevism"
Some 4,000 children and young people now attend classes in Alevi religious education in public schools in Germany. But there is still a shortage of teachers who are able to convey the Alevi faith with competence. Martina Sabra discussed the situation with Sedat Korkmaz, head of the Alevi Academy in Mannheim
