Austria's Mosque Closures: A Controversial Decision

In 2018, Austria's right-wing government announced plans to shut down seven mosques and expel dozens of foreign-funded imams in a bid to tackle radical Islam and the foreign funding of religious groups. The move, which was criticised as racist and Islamophobic, came after images emerged of children in a Turkish-financed mosque re-enacting the First World War Battle of Gallipoli. The Austrian government has also been working to restrict Muslim immigration to the country and has introduced policies such as a ban on headscarves for young girls.

Austria's Islam Law

In 2015, Austria passed a new 'Islam Law' ('Islamgesetz') which banned foreign funding of mosques and the payment of salaries to imams. The law also requires that central tenets of Islam be presented to the authorities in German. It gives Muslims additional rights, such as the right to halal food and pastoral care in the military.

The law was introduced by the then-foreign minister, Sebastian Kurz, who said that the changes were intended to "clearly combat" the influence of Islamic extremism in Austria. Kurz stated that:

> We don't want our Muslim community to be dependent on foreign funding... What we want is to reduce the political influence and control from abroad and we want to give Islam the chance to develop freely within our society and in line with our common European values.

The law was passed in the context of rising anti-Islam sentiment in Austria and neighbouring countries. In 2018, Kurz, by then Chancellor, announced that Austria would close seven mosques and deport 40 imams paid by Turkey through the Diyanet organisation as measures to thwart political Islam. Kurz said that:

> Parallel societies, political Islam and radicalisation tendencies have no place in our country.

The Austrian government's actions were criticised by the Turkish government, which called them "Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory". Muslim groups in Austria also criticised the measures, saying that they failed to treat Muslims equally and reflected a widespread mistrust of Muslims.

The Austrian government's response to the Muslim Brotherhood

Austrian security services have, however, labelled the Muslim Brotherhood as a threat to the social cohesion of Austrian society. In 2018, the Austrian government announced the closure of seven mosques and the expulsion of imams with suspected links to Turkish nationalists and foreign funding. This was justified as a crackdown on "political Islam" and radicalisation tendencies. The government claimed that these mosques and imams were promoting a narrative of victimhood and justifying violence, which created an environment conducive to radicalisation.

The Austrian government has also taken steps to counter the Muslim Brotherhood's influence by working with the Islamic faith community to close Islamic centres believed to promote radicalisation and conducting raids on sites associated with the organisation. They have also proposed changes to counterterrorism legislation, aiming to criminalise "religiously motivated extremist associations" and expand the ban on symbols related to violent extremist groups, including the Muslim Brotherhood.

On the other hand, the Austrian government has also engaged with and partnered with organisations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood. This engagement is motivated by a need for a well-structured partner within the Muslim community, a desire to maintain dialogue to prevent radicalisation, and, in some cases, to ensure electoral success.

The country's relationship with Turkey

Austria and Turkey have a long history together, dating back to the time of the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires. Both countries have had a tumultuous relationship, having fought several wars against each other, but also as allies during World War I. Today, the relationship between the two countries is relatively normal, but there are some points of tension.

One major issue is the opposition from Austrian conservative and right-wing parties to Turkish immigration to Austria and Turkey's potential accession to the European Union. Austria has been at the forefront of blocking Turkey's EU membership bid, with parties such as the Austrian People's Party and the Freedom Party of Austria taking a hard line on this issue. This has caused significant friction between the two countries, with Turkey accusing Austria of discrimination and racism.

Another source of tension between the two countries is the issue of radical Islam and the influence of political Islam in Austria. In 2018, the Austrian government announced the closure of seven mosques and the expulsion of foreign-funded imams, some of whom were suspected of having links to Turkish nationalists. This move was condemned by Turkey as Islamophobic and racist, and it sparked a strong reaction from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who promised a response.

Despite these differences, Austria and Turkey maintain close economic ties. Turkey is an important export destination for Austria, and bilateral trade volume is well above 4 billion euros. Additionally, tourism plays a significant role, with many Austrian tourists visiting Turkey each year. There is also a significant Turkish community in Austria, with approximately 250,000 Turks living in the country, around half of whom hold Austrian citizenship.

Integration of Muslims into Austrian society

Muslims make up the largest religious minority in Austria, with 7.9% of the total population practising Islam in 2016, according to the Austrian Academy of Sciences. This number rose to 8.3% in the 2021 census. Most Austrian Muslims belong to the Sunni denomination, and the majority have a Turkish or Bosniak background.

Muslims have been present in Austria since nomadic tribes from Asia entered the region in 895. However, the first significant wave of Muslim migration to the country occurred during the 1960s, when migrant workers from Turkey and Yugoslavia settled in Austria. Further waves of Muslim immigration took place during the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s and the Syrian Civil War in the 2010s.

Historically, Austria has had an inclusive model of religious governance, which has granted Muslims certain rights and privileges. In 1912, Austria legally recognised Islam as a state religion, and in 1979, it acknowledged the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (Islamische Glaubensgemeinschaft in Österreich, IGGiÖ) as the official representative for all Muslims in the country. This gave Muslims the same rights as other legally recognised religious communities.

However, the integration of Muslims into Austrian society has faced challenges due to an exclusionary model of citizenship, Islamophobia, xenophobia, and discrimination. In recent years, there has been a rise in far-right populism and anti-Muslim sentiment in the country, with parties such as the Freedom Party (FPÖ) employing Islamophobic rhetoric to gain votes. This has contributed to a growing resentment towards Muslims and Islam in Austria.

In 2015, the Austrian government passed a "law on Islam", which banned foreign funding of religious groups and required Muslim organisations to have "a positive fundamental view towards (Austria's) state and society". This law was criticised by Muslim groups and human rights activists as being discriminatory and compromising the religious liberties of Muslims.

In 2018, the Austrian government announced the closure of seven mosques and the expulsion of imams with links to foreign countries, particularly Turkey. This was justified as a measure to combat political Islam and foreign influence over religious groups. The decision was denounced by Austrian Muslims and the Turkish government as Islamophobic and racist.

Despite these challenges, many Austrian Muslims feel closely connected to the country, and a significant proportion have routine leisure time contact with people of other religions. However, they continue to face discrimination and social exclusion, with high unemployment rates and barriers to labour market access. Furthermore, Muslim students in Austria are more likely to leave school before the age of 17, and there is a lack of representation in mainstream political parties.

Overall, while Austria has a long history of Muslim presence and inclusive religious governance, the integration of Muslims into Austrian society remains a complex and evolving issue, shaped by political, social, and cultural factors.

The Austrian government's response to the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ)

In 2018, the Austrian government announced that it would close seven mosques and deport 40 imams paid by Turkey through the Diyanet organisation. The government justified this decision as a measure to thwart political Islam, stating that "parallel societies, Islamism and radicalisation" had no place in Austrian society. This move was criticised by the Turkish government, which called it "Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory", and by Austrian Muslims, who denounced the decision.

The Austrian government has worked with a Muslim community body called IGGÖ (Islamic Religious Community in Austria) to identify mosques and imams suspected of radical Islamist or nationalist connections. The IGGÖ is the largest Muslim organisation in the country and has accepted laws passed by the Austrian government that target the funding and practices of Muslim groups, although its youth arm has opposed such laws.

In 2015, the Austrian parliament passed a "Law on Islam" that banned foreign funding for Islamic organisations and required any group claiming to represent Austrian Muslims to use a standardised German translation of the Koran. This law was accepted by the IGGÖ, although the Turkish-Islamic Union in Austria (ATIB), which is financed by Turkey, opposed it and vowed to challenge the bill in the Constitutional Court. The law was criticised by Turkey's state religious establishment, which argued that it would set back religious freedoms in Austria by a hundred years.

In 2017, the Austrian government passed a law named the "Prohibition on the Covering of the Face", which banned full-face coverings in public places for everyone in the country, except for specific exemptions such as artistic, cultural, or traditional events. This law was labelled as Islamophobic by many activists and experts, who argued that it discriminated against Muslim women who wore religious face veils.

In March 2019, the Austrian cabinet announced that it aimed to create a new institution to monitor and document activities regarding political Islam in the country. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz cited studies showing that a significant number of Austrian Muslims held anti-Western and antisemitic views and emphasised the need to monitor mosques, clubs, ideology, and social media contributions to protect Austria's liberal, democratic, and secular society.

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