Alevism | Alevi

Alcohol in Iran, Turkey and the USA

Are 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
Turkey election fallout

Erdogan 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
Turkish music

Fighting for freedom with the lute, not the sword

The poetry of Pir Sultan once prompted uprisings in the Ottoman Empire. To this day, Alevis identify with him. Rainer Hermann visited Mehmet Celebi, a direct descendant of the medieval bard, who lives in the house Pir Sultan built in a tiny mountain village in Turkey
Syria’s restive South

Making the Druze choose

A lot is happening in Syria’s Sweida Governorate – foreign intervention there is unprecedented both in terms of scale and number of actors – yet Damascus remains the dominant influence, writes Armenak Tokmajyan
Islam and tolerance

Albania'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
Turkish incursion into northern Syria

You 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
Attack on opposition leader Kilicdaroglu

Return 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
Criticising Erdogan

Don'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
The Kurdish people

Nishtiman 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
Mother-tongue instruction in multi-ethnic Iran

Linguistic 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