Abant Platform, Alevis and Diaspora
The Abant Platform has shown the Turkish public that it is possible to bring together intellectuals, academics and civil society leaders from all walks of life, discussing and in most cases agreeing on every single sensitive issue in the country. In a country that lost a precious 5,000 of her youth in a civil war between leftist and rightist groups before the 1980s, nobody had even dreamt of what the platform has achieved.
Yet it is puzzling that the proceedings of the platform are not available in English, as far as I know, and it is equally surprising why on earth we still do not have Ph.D. theses on this phenomenal success story.
This year's issue discussed by the platform was Alevi reality in Turkey. Many atheist, Sunni and Alevi scholars, academics, intellectuals, etc. came together and discussed various aspects of the Alevi reality, socio-legal situation of Alevis, state-secularism-Alevi relations, Alevi identity, definition of Aleviism, Sunni-Alevi relations and so on. What has been agreed should also be elaborated but even the fact that these people could come together and could openly discuss these issues is very promising. It is a harbinger of a new Turkey.
As discussed during the proceedings, Alevis definitely have problems in Turkey, problems that I hope can easily be solved in a democratic and tolerant, Abant-spirited Turkey. I think we should also focus on the Alevi diaspora.
As a result of chain migration and village transplantation, hundreds of thousands of Alevis have migrated to Western countries. Even though they had to face cultural differences, challenges and discrimination, the first generations were still able to preserve their culture and identity as they lived more or less in ghettos. As for the second and third generation, it is no longer simple to preserve their Alevi culture and identity and assimilation is not an option. Even if they wanted to assimilate, they will always be perceived as different.
Integration is a viable option but to integrate one has to be confident of one's own culture and identity. Otherwise one cannot skillfully navigate between cultures but only becomes lost between cultures. As far as I can see, second and third generation diaspora Alevis are not skilful cultural navigators since they do not have access to authentic written Alevi sources, classics, literature, etc. as these do not exist in written format. The Alevi culture is a very rich oral one, but it is no longer possible to transmit this culture orally to new generations in this age, particularly in Western milieus. New generations also find it very difficult to respect the religious leaders (dede) of their communities. Nor do they find them convincing.
Thus discussions on Alevis in Turkey will definitely benefit diaspora Alevis as well. The emergence of a more vocal and self confident Alevi identity and culture in Turkey will not only help them to enter into harmonious relations with Sunnis but it will also prevent diaspora Alevis being lost between cultures and even being a threat to the public order of their host countries. Development of democracy in Turkey, the European Union process and activities like Abant will help Alevis in achieving this. Yet, as Fethullah Gülen emphasized many years ago, they also need to put their religious and socio-cultural sources into writing. Looking at second or third generation diaspora Alevis I can see why he was right.
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