<Special Feature “The Encounter with Religious Others through Music and Musician in the Islamic World”>The Transmission of Alevi Ritualistic Practices in Austria as the Religious Other's Society

Abstract

This study focuses on the music as part of ritualistic practice of the Alevis, a religious group of Islamic origin, in the living with religious others. The Alevis are a religious group that has traditionally inhabited Turkey and is known for its use of music and dance-like physical movements in its rituals. They constitute a religious minority in Turkey, where Sunnis are the majority. This study focuses on the Alevis, who live in Austria, a Christian society, as part of the Turkish migrant community. Whereas Austria has been a traditionally Christian country with a national government, it was historically formed as an immigrant state by receiving a number of migrants, including those from the former Habsburg Empire territories, workers from Turkey and Yugoslavia, and refugees from the Middle East. As a host country, the Austrian Government put in place policies and institutions to accommodate migrants of different ethnic and religious identities. People with different migratory roots, including Turkish immigrants, governed by these institutions. In an environment where Turkish migrants are contained within the host society (Austria) as an ethnic minority, the Alevis are a religious minority contained within the Turkish migrant pool. In effect, they have double minority status. How are their rituals practiced in an environment that is contained within or adjacent to the religious other? This study focuses on their practices in educational settings because the transmission of music to the next generation is an important issue for those who form communities where they are the minority.