Migrant Lives

Book excerpt: The ʿAlawi community constitutes one of the oldest secret communities originating in what is known today as the Middle East. Today, the community members are scattered over many different countries around the world. The first ʿAlawis came to Germany as Gastarbeiter (guest workers) in the 1960s following bilateral labour agreements between Turkey and Germany. The present book explores the multifaceted experiences of ʿAlawiness during the post-migration period in Germany. The book demonstrates the pervasiveness of the practice of secrecy in the various spheres of ʿAlawi migrant life in Germany. Throughout this book, it becomes evident that living at the nexus of being an ʿAlawi and a migrant generates a set of experiences that are shaped by the accelerated sociocultural, political, economic and technological developments in Germany, but also in the countries of origin. The focus of this book is on identification practices, the practices of secrecy, the dynamics of interethnic social relations, and the religious practices of Turkish ʿAlawi men and women in present-day Germany. The book traces in particular the stories of the new generations of ʿAlawis whose experiences have largely remained ignored.