The Alevi (from a small, humble perspective)

Here in Ankara I was invited to visit an Alevi cem evi, the social and spiritual gathering space for the Alevi religious community. It was a neighborhood on the east side, a sunny afternoon, and a wonderfully warm welcome. We (young foreign students) walked into a wide and low room filled round the edges with many people relaxing on pillows. The Dede stood to greet us, saying "Sit down here, I'll tell you our story." The history lesson, translated through our teacher, lasted perhaps an hour with questions; it was followed by dance and music, food and chai, and every aspect of it was part of their religious ceremony.

And that's what I find the most interesting... worship, for Alevis, is never contained within a book, or specific recitations, or a set of dogmatic principles, or even a single building. Prayer is through song and dance and community service and everyday language and the motion of stirring chai with a small spoon.

So what is Alevi....I'm lifting primarily from a wikipedia article, where the collective authors "they" have explained it better than I could:

<<<< Alevis (or Alevi-Bektashis) are a religious community in Turkey, making up approximately 20% of the population of the country. Alevism is a Shia Islamic belief, meaning that they are politically attached to the 4th Islamic Caliph, Imam Ali. This, however, is the extent of similarity between Alevism and Orthodox Shia beliefs. (Shia is a term used for any beliefs having its main structure relying on following the path of Imam Ali, no matter how different they are.)

Contrary to mainstream orthodox Islam---which has a tradition of authoritative religious scholarship---Alevism is a heterodox belief (meaning it is defined by its departure from accepted beliefs and standards). The strength of Alevism lies in shared local traditions and esoteric interpretations of Islamic belief and practice. Modern Alevi theology has been profoundly influenced by humanism and universalism. Thus, while many of the older generation view Alevism as a religious belief, many of the younger generation prefer to term it a philosophy, some even making connections with Marxism. Alevi communities are strong supporters of Kemalism due to its strong secularist ideology. >>>>

This post would be a rather feeble attempt at a "general summary," so I'll just touch on a few ideas that I believe are the most important.

1) Theological issues---As described to me, the Alevi beliefs seem more of a philosophical outlook than I've seen in most other faiths. After Allah, the common name for God is Haqq, the Arabic word for Ultimate Truth, or Reality. Through worship, becoming closer to Allah, one can be united with the Truth. In my opinion, the most beautiful concepts in Islam are taken to the center of Alevism; love for neighbors, equality between men and women, and transcending material desires are a few. Orthodoxy and intolerance are hardly visible...

2) Practices---The sema is a dance of men and women in a circle, feet stepping and arms raised to the music of a saz and other stringed instruments. Men and women pray alongside one another. The dominant patriarchy of Turkish culture still guides work and family relationships, but I've heard from many Alevi the view: "Change comes from within us... children learning our ways are the ones who will help society progress." The cem evi that we visited organizes educational seminars, community dinners, and art/music cultural gatherings.

3) Political and economic issues---The current Alevi support for a strictly secular state comes after experiencing centuries of oppression under the Ottomans and discrimination from the majority Sunni population of Turkey. Today, the Turkish state officially recognizes Sunni Islam and has refused to recognize Alevism. With all citizens paying taxes, this policy discriminates unapologetically. Alevis watch their money go to the education system, for example, which teaches Sunni history in schools and refuses to mention Alevism. The state pays for enormous building projects such as the Kocatepe Mosque in Ankara, and gives nothing to Alevi communities. The state appoints and pays the salaries of Sunni Imams, funding that will soon increase under the new AKP government. The Dede told us that many Alevi don't admit their faith for the likelihood that they may suffer lower wages and other discrimination at their workplace.

Some Alevi I've met are angry, and some are sad. The majority, however, have an aura of patience and kind acceptance. I'll return to the cem evi next week for Thursday evening prayers, as I want to feel that community spirit again.

~~~alice

Cedar wood

In a small town called Şirince, near Turkey's Aegean coast, I met an old woodcarver sitting in a pile of cedar shavings. Here, on a slightly ridiculous map, is our location....

I say ridiculous because this city, writ large and bold on the map, has a population of perhaps a few thousand, steep hills of paths and small houses, and goats running around the wine shop. And on one street was an old man in a two-sided woodshed. He introduced himself "Ziyah," saying he has lived in this town his whole life.

On a low table in front of him were large spoons, forks and bowls, cigarette holders, and the traditional short, rounded spoons for creating rhythm. "All my life I've carved," he said. "I learned from my grandfather." Ziyah put in my hands a pile of shavings, telling me to lift them to my nose and smell. Cedar scent, strong and immediately recognizable, came to me and I smiled. Ziyah continued, "Truth is, after so many years smelling wood (and after so many cigarettes) most kinds I can't smell anymore. Now only cedar and olive." Other varieties he identifies by sight and the feel in his hands as he carves.

He pulled out a small cloth bag and said "here, my most important art." They were four spoons with images clear in the bowl of the spoon, images revealed while carving through layers of alternating light and dark layers of wood.
One--A dark castle with either sea or rolling lan below
Two--A baby held in a woman's arms (this according to Ziyah Bey; I tried, but my eyes saw only dark swirls)
Three--Two distinct dark, curved horns rising from a pyramid shape. Identified as Satan.
Fourth and most beautiful--The profile and swirling scarf of the Virgin Mary (Hazreti Meryemana)... and on the other side a tall and dark figure, her son Jesus (İsa).
"These I will never sell. This last one I gave to my wife when we married long ago... now she's gone, so I carry it again."

Ziyah offered me tobacco from Adıyaman in Turkey's southeast, rolled in unbleached cigarette papers. "And here are the tea leaves, make us some tea," he added, pointing me to the small kerosene stove. "Yaban çay, (wild tea) is the best. Simply."

(these are my spoons, not the visionary miracle ones)

I left after perhaps an hour, talking with me a few large and wonderfully sanded spoons for serving and cooking. Also a set of rhythm spoons for a dancing friend, and a large pile of wood shavings just for the smell (these I've since scattered in my own room and others'). Ziyah added a final gift, this only an ornamental piece; a tiny teaspoon, glazed and engraved with the following words: "Ya olduğun gibi görün, ya göründüğün gibi ol." This is a quote of the Sufi poet and philosopher Rumi. Rumi was born in Persian and died in Konya in central Anatolia... his writings are read across Central Asia and the Middle East and he is claimed by many Turks as their spiritual ancestor.

I find it fascinating that this small Turkish town has such diversity in beliefs--every Turk I've met (here and across the country) has an official government identity card with "Muslim" written bold, no questions asked. At the same time, small churches appear often and Christianity has a role in the everyday lives of many people. Ziyah Bey handled his special spoons with respect as if his hands were worshipping a miracle. And just as important are the words of the mystic Sufi Rumi, preaching love, music, art, and dance in the name of God.

Here is the quote in English: "Either appear as you are, or be as you appear."
I think it can transcend perhaps anything.

~~~alice

The coercive political circumstances necessitating the relocation and transfer of Armenians: The decision approved and decreed by the Council of Ministers on May 31, 1915.

"It has been understood that some of the Armenians residing near the regions bordering the battle lines have been jeopardizing the manoeuvres of the Ottoman Army who is trying to defend the borders against the enemy forces by: slowing down the transfer of provisions and military equipment, willing to cooperate and act in unison with the enemy, joining the enemy forces, organizing armed assaults on the armed forces and the innocent people in the country, providing the enemy navy with supplies, showing the fortified areas to the enemy courageously. Therefore, the insurgent elements ought to be receded from the theatre of operations. Activities and measures to this end will be launched....

The decree, dated May 26, 1915, and numbered 270, suggests that this procedure, seeking solely the most basic benefits of the state, ought to be put into practice through method and regulations, has been taken in consideration at the Council of Ministers. In the discussions held it has been decided that the harmful activities against the measures taken to protect the well being of the state and its security, and against the regulations put in to practice with extreme devotion ought to be eliminated effectively; as the decisions, pertaining the issue, put into practice by your Ministry are found extremely appropriate and clear, it has been decided and approved that the following applications should be put in to practice by your Ministry...

The Armenians, who are to be receded from the villages and towns you have written shall be transferred to their allocated places in comfort, their well beings and possessions shall be secured during their voyage, and the expenses to be encountered in their thorough relocations in the allocated places shall be met by the immigrant funds they shall be given properties and land in proportion to their previous financial and economic means. The needy shall receive new houses built by the state, the farmers shall be given seeds, should there be a need, the artisans shall be provided with tools and implements. Their belongings and possessions they have left behind shall be returned to the owners or their equivalent values shall be paid in the same manner. The immigrants and tribes shall settle the evacuated villages, and the properties and lands, after determination of their real values, shall be distributed among them. The real estates belonging to the relocated people in the evacuated villages shall be recorded in accordance with their types, values, and amount, and shall be distributed among the immigrants. The vineyards and olive, mulberry, and orange orchards, and the shops, factories, inns and storehouses, that are outside the scope of interest and skills of the immigrants, belonging to the relocated shall be sold in auctions or they shall be rented and the total amount of the money to be gained from the sales shall be invested temporarily in accountable property offices only to be given to their rightful owners.

It has also been decided that all the expenses to be made in realizing these shall be met by the immigrants’ funds in accordance with the regulations drawn by your Ministry. The sub-commissions shall undertake the organization, inspection, and application of the regulations in the protection, administration, and the acceleration of the procedures pertaining to the settlement of the derelict property...

It has also been decided that the governors shall be responsible for the application of the regulations mentioned in the areas where commissions cannot be sent. The issue has been forwarded to the Ministry of Defense and to the Ministry of Finance. The decree for the application of the procedures by your Ministry has been issued."

This text is available at the Military Museum of Istanbul. Comments?

~~~alice

(and fires in Turkey?)

(Continued From Before)

Here in Turkey, development (with no qualifier such as "sustainable" or "social") by default means hotels and businesses, shopping centers and concrete. And with few exceptions, it's generally spoken of positively, often interchangeable with "future" and "progress."

The current Turkish government is committed to this version of development which means opening the economy. The AK party is actively seeking foreign investment in manufacturing industry and tourism by easing regulations and reducing bureaucratic barriers. As one friend from the city of Antalya told me, "This means Russian mafia money has been pouring into Turkey, and is now the biggest source of investment along Turkey's southern coast." İn Turkey's southeast, the government's desire for investment (both foreign and domestic) has made it much easier for businesses to get involved: "If you purchase this land, you won't have to pay this property tax; if you expand this business, we'll allow certain area violations," etc.

And the line between legal and illegal development becomes so shaded that I, for one, can't make a distinction.

The irony is this: In Turkey's current system, with the economic and political environment so friendly to developers, there is no need for a land speculator to work around the law. The fires in Greece may have been sparked by developers looking to get around land-conservation clauses that declare forrested land cannot be developed. Many environmental protection laws were created in Greece after pressure from the European Union. At this time, Turkey has few such policies, and an administration even less interested in enforcing them.

So is Turkey at risk from profit-seeking developers willing to commit arson to clear land? With so many incentives already encouraging development (the biggest among them, tourism, is increasing every day) it's comparatively easy for investors to work within the already "legal" channels. No need for fires, no need to bribe environment officials, and only a few very small voices worried about Turkey's forests. Developers hear "Come on in, the land's here and ready for you."

If you're curious about efforts to spark ecologically-friendly tourism in Turkey, see:
The World Wildlife Fund--Turkey
Karagöl region (Turkish Daily News)
and a great analysis of Turkish ecotourism's future in Today's Zaman

~~~alice

Fires in Greece

The wild forest fires that broke out in Greece two weekends ago are mostly under the control of fire-fighters and no longer spreading. Final damage? Human, economic, and ecological landscape... From neighboring Turkey I read the news, listened to conversations, and asked many questions. Primary among my concerns: how is our situation in this country similar to Greece, and how is it different?

The BBC reports that perhaps 65 people have died across the region in southeastern Greece. Greek newspapers have estimated €3 billion euro in financial costs---this is for immediate relief efforts, farmers' compensation, and local economies' recovery. And the land affected may be 270,000 hectares (more than a thousand square miles), including many olive-producing farms. The ecological perspective is confusing because many Mediterranean forests depend on frequent fires for their renewal and growth. In a typical cycle, strong roots systems will survive while fires remove dead matter and give young seeds the right conditions to sprout. Yet a fire can be devastating if the forest composition has changed. On Greece's mainland and islands, many forests have slowly lost diversity due to human influence in the form of tree plantations, animal grazing, agricultural needs, and demand for development. This means a forest may recover with painfully fewer species after a fire, now a likely possibility in Greece.
Truth is most of the damage will be unknown for a long time...

This article from the Economist magazine gives a valuable perspective on possible reasons for, and consequences of, the fires. It includes the legitimate theory that many of the fires were intentionally set by land-developers who may profit from an area cleared of trees. And here is the relevance for Turkey: if some of the fires were deliberate, what kind of economic environment is it that creates this incentive? And how can it be avoided?

The demand for more tourist destinations, real estate for the wealthy, and manufacturing industry leads to an intense business in land development. In Turkey and Greece it's a source of potentially huge profits.

(apologies for the abruptness, but this will continue shortly in another post)

~~~alice

"The Iron Way" (part II)

(Continued From Before)

The Istanbul-Ankara train leaves from Haydarpaşa Station, a beautiful old building on the Asian side of the Bosphorus. It was a gift from Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, one of his many gifts to the last Ottoman sultan trying to convince the empire to join Germany's side in WWI; the station is still very much in-use even after the empire's unhappy ending.

I walked out along the tracks before boarding, finding my compartment (#14b) with the help of an excited little boy (half his body hanging out the train window) calling out ticket numbers. From the window of cabin #14 three large grain sacks were hanging. Two bulging with rice, and the third perhaps with wheat grain. They belonged to the family inside---an old woman and man, and the same excited boy I now recognized as their grandchild. They greeted me when I stepped in, and introduced me to two university students also sharing the compartment. And inside this already crowded compartment three more sacks of grain were stored. I asked the grandmother, "Why are you bringing these to Ankara?" She cast a glance at her husband, lowered her eyes, and didn't answer me. I didn't try again...

I suppose I could attribute it to a language mistake (though by this time I'm fairly confident in my ability to ask simple questions); or perhaps her reluctance to talk with a foreigner, an uncovered young woman travelling alone. But I'd almost like to believe that this quiet Muslim family is part of Turkey's black market trade. I'd rather it were valuable antiquities than firearms or drugs hidden among the rice grains; however, burası Türkiye, herşey olabilir (this is Turkey, anything is possible). Including the innocent possibility that they own a dry-goods shop in Ankara...

Returning to Istanbul the next night (a different train) I was talking with the manager of the small cafe car. Now, one-way Istanbul to Ankara is between 7-10 hours depending on the train. The manager tells me that one of the AK party's promises was to build a train that would make the journey in 3 hours. "And they've already begun construction," he claims.

Why is this government investing in the rail system? I suppose there are a few reasons why it should... In Turkey today petrol (roughly converted) is about $US 7.75/gallon. This makes train travel much more affordable for the majority of people. The trains almost always arrive on time, and they are powered primarily by electricity (which can be cleanly generated). The efficiency factor is important here, because as TCDD is publicly funded and state-run, its efficiency is constantly being questioned.

Even though gas is so expensive, the number of cars on roads in Turkey is still rising exponentially. I've been told a few times that the leading cause of death in Turkey is by road accidents. Hearing individual stories and experiencing Turkish traffic is enough to convince me this could be true (and this World Bank report puts Turkey's accident rates at 3-6 times above the EU average). The government's plan to reduce this involves more safety trainings, further investment in the already-complex highway system across the country, and redesigning the rail system for successful commercialization. And what will follow? For the trains, more accountability, and fewer and better trained personnel. For passengers on Turkish trains, significantly higher prices.

I'll end this now, leaving the issues of smuggling, subsidies, and social standards open-ended and unconnected. The Turkish rail system is a fascinating central focus. Through the lenses of economics, cultural values, and environmentalism all issues can become bound together; at this moment, however, I'm sleepy and too tired for the clarity effort.

~~~alice