Alevis as a modern Islamic community

Karen Kruger asks Austrian author Barbara Frischmuth about the Alevi faith, following protests against an episode in a German TV crime series that dealt with sexual abuse in an Alevi family. Alevis in Germany complain that the TV episode caters to a common Turkish prejudice that Alevis indulge in incest. "For many Alevis, the moment may have arrived to openly discuss their faith. They point to prejudices that remain very much alive in Turkey. ... On one hand, Turkish intellectuals are increasingly interested in Alevi culture. Because the Alevi model of religion is non-western, and yet has revealed itself at the same time as much more compatible with modernity than that of Sunni Islam. Many Turks are suddenly discovering their own Alevi roots. On the other hand, conflicts continue with orthodox Muslims. The Alevis are very disappointed in Turkey."

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