Austria's Mosque Closures: Religious Freedom Or Security Threat?

In 2018, the Austrian government announced plans to close seven mosques and expel dozens of imams, citing concerns over political Islam and foreign financing of religious groups. The decision was based on a 2015 law that banned foreign funding of religious institutions and required Muslim organisations to express a positive fundamental view of the Austrian state. The move was criticised by Turkey, which claimed it was Islamophobic and racist. A court in Austria later annulled the government's plan to shut down six of the mosques.

Austria's government plans to shut down seven mosques

In 2018, the Austrian government announced plans to shut down seven mosques and expel dozens of imams. The decision was rooted in a 2015 law that requires Muslim organisations to express a "positive fundamental view" of the Austrian state and bans foreign funding of religious institutions. The law also requires imams to be able to speak German.

The announcement was made by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who said the move was part of a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign financing of religious groups. Kurz said that "political Islam's parallel societies and radicalising tendencies have no place in our country". Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache added, "This is just the beginning".

The Austrian Culture Minister, Gernot Blümel, told journalists that the mosques were shut down because of suspected "extremism". All the mosques that were closed were believed to belong to the Salafi tradition, a strict and literal school within Islam.

The decision was made following an investigation by the Ministry of Culture and Interior, which found the activities of the seven mosques to be unlawful. One of the mosques belonged to the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB), which manages Turkish mosques in the country and has close links to the Turkish government. The remaining six mosques were suspected of links to the Arab Religious Community, which the Austrian government ordered closed due to accusations of promoting pro-jihadist doctrines and having ties to Islamic State and Al Qaeda.

Austria has a population of approximately 8.8 million people, including roughly 600,000 Muslims, most of whom are of Turkish origin. The decision to close the mosques and expel imams was criticised by the Turkish government, which called the move "Islamophobic" and "racist". Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that the Austrian government's practices violated "universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights and the ethics of co-existence".

The government will expel tens of imams

In 2018, the Austrian government announced plans to shut down at least seven mosques and expel tens of imams. The government, a coalition of conservatives and the far-right, came to power after Europe's migration crisis promising to restrict benefits for new immigrants and refugees and prevent another influx. The decision to expel imams was part of a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign financing of religious groups.

The actions by the government were based on a 2015 law that banned foreign funding of religious communities and required imams to speak German. The law also created a duty for Muslim organisations to have "a positive fundamental view towards [Austria's] state and society". Chancellor Sebastian Kurz stated that "political Islam's parallel societies and radicalising tendencies have no place in our country".

The government's decision to expel imams was primarily directed at the Turkish-Islamic Union for Cultural and Social Cooperation in Austria (ATIB), a Muslim group close to the Turkish government. Around 40 imams employed by ATIB were under investigation for receiving foreign funding. Two had already received deportation orders, while five more were denied first-time permits. ATIB spokesman Yasar Ersoy acknowledged that its imams were paid by the Turkish state religious authority but said the organisation was trying to change that.

The Austrian government's move angered Turkey, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman calling it "Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory". The spokesman, Ibrahim Kalin, said the decision was "in violation of universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights and the ethics of co-existence".

The move is part of a crackdown on political Islam

In 2018, the Austrian government announced plans to shut down seven mosques and expel dozens of imams. The move was part of a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign financing of religious groups. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that the country could not abide by "parallel societies" and radical Islam. Kurz, who had previously served as the minister in charge of integration, was responsible for steering the "Law on Islam" into law in 2015. This law created a duty for Muslim societies to have "a positive fundamental view towards [the] state and society" of Austria and banned foreign funding of religious institutions.

The decision to close the mosques was based on an investigation by the Ministry of Culture and Interior, which found that the activities of the seven mosques were unlawful. One of the mosques belonged to the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB), while the remaining six were suspected of links to the Arab Religious Community. The Austrian government accused the Arab Religious Community of promoting pro-jihadist doctrines and having ties to Islamic State and Al Qaeda.

The move was criticised by the Turkish government, which called it a violation of minority rights and social integration politics. Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesperson for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said that the decision "is a reflection of the Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory wave in this country." He added that the Austrian government's practices were in violation of universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights, and the ethics of co-existence.

The decision to close the mosques and expel the imams raised questions about the relationship between religion, particularly minority religion, and politics and national identity in Western Europe. It also sparked concerns about increasing anti-Muslim discrimination and hate crimes in the region. Critics argued that the move was an example of the nationalist Islamophobia characterising Austrian politics at the time.

The decision was influenced by a 2015 law that bans foreign funding of religious institutions

In 2018, the Austrian government announced plans to shut down seven mosques and expel dozens of imams. This decision was influenced by a 2015 law that bans foreign funding of religious institutions. The law, known as the "Law on Islam" or the "Islam Law", was passed by Chancellor Sebastian Kurz when he was minister in charge of integration. It requires imams to speak German and prohibits Muslim organisations from receiving foreign funding.

The Austrian government's decision to shut down the mosques and expel the imams was part of a crackdown on "political Islam" and foreign financing of religious groups. Kurz stated that the measures were necessary to prevent the formation of parallel societies and to enforce the country's Islam law. The Interior Minister, Herbert Kickl, added that the residence permits of around 40 imams employed by the Turkish-Islamic Union for Cultural and Social Cooperation in Austria (ATIB) were being reviewed due to concerns about foreign financing.

ATIB is a Muslim group close to the Turkish government, and it was suspected that its imams were receiving funding from the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs or Diyanet, the Turkish state's religious authority. A spokesman for ATIB acknowledged that its imams were paid for by Diyanet but stated that the organisation was working on having them paid from funds within Austria. The Austrian government's decision was criticised by the Turkish government, which condemned the move as "Islamophobic, racist, and discriminatory".

The Austrian government's actions were not limited to ATIB. The government also shut down a mosque in Vienna influenced by the "Grey Wolves", a Turkish nationalist youth group. Additionally, the government dissolved the Arab Religious Community, which ran at least six mosques and was accused of promoting pro-jihadist doctrines and having ties to Islamic State and Al Qaeda.

The 2015 law on foreign funding of religious institutions was part of a broader legislation on Islam in Austria, which updated a century-old law establishing the legal status of Islam under the Habsburg empire. The new legislation strengthened protections for Muslims, giving official status to their religious holidays, recognising Islamic graveyards, and providing the right to Islamic pastoral care in public institutions. However, the section of the law that restricted foreign funding for mosques and Islamic communities drew criticism from Muslims inside and outside Austria, who pointed out that equivalent laws did not exist for Orthodox Christian and Jewish communities with foreign links.

The move raises questions about the relationship of minority religions to politics and national identity

In 2018, the Austrian government announced plans to close seven mosques and expel dozens of imams, citing concerns about "political Islam" and foreign funding of religious groups. This move raises important questions about the relationship between minority religions and politics and national identity, not just in Austria but across Western Europe.

Austria's decision was based on a 2015 law that requires Muslim organizations to express a "positive fundamental view" of the state and society and bans foreign funding for religious institutions. The law also requires imams to speak German. The Austrian government argued that these measures were necessary to combat radicalization and ensure the integration of Muslim immigrants into Austrian society. However, critics accused the government of Islamophobia and discrimination, claiming that the move stigmatized and marginalized the country's Muslim minority.

The closure of mosques and expulsion of imams in Austria reflects a broader trend in Europe of increasing tensions between church and state, particularly regarding minority religions. In several European countries, including France, Germany, and Denmark, religious coverings such as the niqab and burqa have been partially or completely banned. There is also a growing conflation of attitudes towards Islam with populist and nationalist concerns about preserving a "European" or Christian identity. For example, recent polls have shown that church-going Christians in Western Europe tend to have more extreme anti-Islamic and anti-immigrant sentiments than their non-religious counterparts.

The Austrian government's actions have been particularly controversial due to the country's sizeable Muslim population, estimated at around 600,000 people, most of whom are of Turkish origin. This decision has had implications for Austria's relations with Turkey, with Turkish officials condemning the move as a violation of minority rights and social integration policies. The Austrian government's far-right leanings and anti-immigration stance have also contributed to concerns about the motivations behind the mosque closures and expulsions.

The move to close mosques and expel imams in Austria highlights the complex dynamics between minority religions, politics, and national identity. While governments have a responsibility to address security concerns and promote social cohesion, it is crucial to do so without stigmatizing or marginalizing religious minorities. Balancing these interests is a challenging task that requires a careful approach to ensure the protection of religious freedom and the rights of minority groups.

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