Austria Shuts Down Several Mosques: What's The Reason?

In 2018, the Austrian government announced it would shut down seven mosques and expel 40 imams, citing concerns about foreign funding and radical Islam. The decision was part of a broader push against political Islam and followed the emergence of images of children in Turkish army uniforms re-enacting a historical battle. While the Austrian Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, framed the decision as necessary to prevent parallel societies, critics, including the Turkish government, condemned the move as Islamophobic and racist. The episode highlighted ongoing tensions between Austria and Turkey, as well as broader debates around Muslim immigration and integration in Europe.

The Austrian government's decision was called 'Islamophobic' and 'racist' by the Turkish president's office

In 2018, the Austrian government announced its decision to shut down seven mosques and expel 40 imams. This was part of a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign funding of religious groups. The move was criticised by the Turkish president's office as "Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory".

The Austrian government, a coalition of conservatives and the far-right, came to power after the European migration crisis. It had promised to restrict benefits for new immigrants and refugees and to prevent another influx of migrants. The decision to shut down the mosques and expel the imams was based on the country's "law on Islam", passed in 2015, which banned foreign funding of religious groups and required Muslim organisations to have a positive view of the Austrian state and society.

The Turkish presidential spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, took to Twitter to express his condemnation of the move, calling it "Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory". He also accused the Austrian government of violating universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights, and the ethics of coexistence. Kalin's tweets reflected the Turkish government's perspective, which viewed the decision as part of an alarming trend in Austria that targeted Muslim communities for political gains.

The Austrian government's decision was influenced by reports of certain mosques' links to Turkish nationalists. In April 2018, images emerged of children in a Vienna mosque re-enacting the World War One Battle of Gallipoli while wearing Turkish army uniforms. This incident, along with other reports of nationalist activities, prompted the Austrian authorities to take action. The mosque in question was associated with ATIB, an Islamic organisation close to the Turkish government.

The Austrian government's decision to shut down the mosques and expel the imams was not an isolated incident but part of a broader shift in the country's approach to immigration and the integration of Muslims. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz had previously drawn criticism for his anti-immigration stance during his election campaign, and his party, the conservative People's Party (ÖVP), formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ). Kurz also advocated for ending Turkey's EU membership negotiations, causing tension with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The move was part of a crackdown on political Islam, according to Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz

In 2018, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced his decision to shut down seven mosques and expel up to 60 imams, with 40 facing immediate expulsion. Kurz stated that the move was part of a crackdown on "political Islam" and was intended to counter radical Islam and foreign funding of religious groups. The decision was based on a "law on Islam" passed in 2015 when Kurz was minister in charge of integration. This law banned foreign funding of religious groups and mandated that Muslim organisations foster positive fundamental views of the Austrian state and society.

The targeted mosques and imams were accused of receiving foreign funding, particularly from Turkey. The Austrian government asserted that such practices were unacceptable and violated the country's laws and values. Chancellor Kurz emphasised that "political Islam's parallel societies and radicalising tendencies have no place in our country." He stated that the move was necessary to prevent the formation of parallel societies and to uphold Austrian laws and values.

The decision to shut down the mosques and expel the imams sparked controversy and was met with strong opposition from Turkey. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, condemned the move as "Islamophobic, racist, and discriminatory." He accused the Austrian government of violating universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights, and the ethics of coexistence. Kalin's statement reflected the tensions between Austria and Turkey regarding immigration, integration, and the influence of political Islam.

The Austrian government's decision was influenced by reports of certain mosques promoting nationalist sentiments and radical ideologies. One incident involved children in a Vienna mosque re-enacting the World War One Battle of Gallipoli, a victory for the Ottoman Empire, and playing dead while draped in Turkish flags. This incident, along with other reports of nationalist activities, raised concerns about the potential radicalisation and political influence within these religious institutions.

The move to shut down the seven mosques and expel the imams was presented as the first step in a broader effort to address these issues. Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache emphasised that this was "just the beginning" of their push against political Islam and foreign funding of religious groups in Austria. The Austrian government's actions reflected its commitment to addressing these concerns and enforcing its laws and values regarding religious practices and integration.

The government planned to expel dozens of imams, some of whom were funded by foreign countries

In June 2018, Austria's right-wing coalition government, formed of an alliance of conservatives and the far-right, announced plans to shut down seven mosques and expel dozens of imams in a push against radical Islam and foreign funding of religious groups. This move was justified under a law on Islam passed in 2015, which banned foreign funding of religious groups and required Muslim organisations to have "a positive fundamental view towards (Austria's) state and society".

The government stated that up to 60 imams belonging to the Turkish-Islamic Union for Cultural and Social Cooperation in Austria (ATIB), a Muslim group close to the Turkish government, could be expelled from the country or denied visas on the grounds of receiving foreign funding. ATIB acknowledged that its imams were paid by Diyanet, the Turkish state religious authority, but stated that they were working on having imams paid from funds within the country.

A government handout put the number of imams to be expelled at 40, of whom 11 were under review and two had already received a negative ruling. This was part of a broader crackdown on "political Islam" by the Austrian government, which also saw the dissolution of an organisation called the Arab Religious Community, which ran six of the mosques targeted for closure.

The decision to shut down the mosques and expel the imams was met with backlash from the Turkish government, with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, calling it "Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory". Kalin further stated that the Austrian government's practices were in violation of universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights, and the ethics of coexistence.

The Austrian government's decision to shut down the mosques and expel the imams was part of a broader effort to address concerns about immigration and the integration of Muslims into Austrian society. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who had a history of taking a tough stance on immigration and Islam during his election campaign, framed the decision as a necessary step to prevent the formation of parallel societies and to counter radicalisation tendencies.

The decision was influenced by images of children in Turkish army uniforms re-enacting a WWI battle

In 2018, the Austrian government announced its decision to shut down seven mosques and expel 40 imams. This move was part of a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign funding of religious groups. The decision was influenced by images that surfaced in April of that year, showing children dressed in Turkish army uniforms re-enacting the World War One Battle of Gallipoli. This incident took place in a Vienna mosque, reported to be run by ATIB, an Islamic organisation in Austria with close ties to the Turkish government.

The Battle of Gallipoli was one of the last victories of the Ottoman Empire, successfully preventing Allied forces from reaching Constantinople, the empire's capital. In the reenactment, the child actors played dead and were draped in Turkish flags. This event caused concern in Austria, as it implied the promotion of political Islam and nationalism among young people.

The Austrian government's decision to shut down the mosques and expel the imams was met with strong opposition from Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, took to Twitter to condemn the move, calling it "Islamophobic, racist, and discriminatory." He further stated that Austria's practices violated "universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights, and the ethics of co-existence."

The incident and the Austrian government's response highlight the tensions between Austria and Turkey regarding immigration, the integration of Muslims, and the influence of political Islam. Austria's chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, had previously campaigned on anxiety about immigration and had pushed for restrictions on Muslim immigration to Europe. In contrast, Turkey, housing millions of Syrian refugees, criticised the EU for not doing enough to support them.

The coalition government, an alliance of conservatives and the far-right, came to power after Europe's migration crisis

In 2018, the Austrian government, led by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, announced plans to shut down seven mosques and expel 40 imams. This decision was justified as a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign funding of religious groups. The move was particularly aimed at groups with links to Turkish nationalists and the government's efforts were supported by a 2015 law that banned foreign funding of mosques and required Muslim organisations to have a positive view of the Austrian state.

This decision by Chancellor Kurz's government took place within a broader political context. The coalition government, an alliance of conservatives and the far-right, came to power after Europe's migration crisis, leveraging anxieties about immigration and the integration of Muslims. Kurz's conservative People's Party (ÖVP) formed a coalition with the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which had campaigned heavily on anti-immigration sentiments.

The rise of this coalition government reflected a shift in Austrian politics towards the right. Chancellor Kurz, who previously served as minister for Europe, integration, and foreign affairs, played a key role in shaping the country's approach to immigration and the role of Islam. He backed and steered the "law on Islam" in 2015, which set the tone for his government's actions.

The decision to shut down the seven mosques and expel imams was met with strong criticism from Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, condemned the move as "Islamophobic, racist, and discriminatory." He accused the Austrian government of violating universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights, and the ethics of coexistence.

The Austrian government's actions had broader implications for relations with Turkey. Mr Kurz's stance on restricting Muslim immigration to Europe and his call to break off Turkey's EU membership negotiations angered President Erdogan. In response, Turkey vetoed NATO's cooperation with Austria in 2017, disrupting the organisation's partnership activities with 41 countries.

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