Islam in Austria

Islam in Austria is the largest minority religion in the country, practiced by 7.9% of the total population in 2016 according to the Austrian Academy of Sciences.

Historian Smail Balić states that the first evidence of Muslims in Austria dates back to nomadic tribes from Asia that entered the region in 895.

[6] The Recognition Act in 1874 gave Christian and non-Christian communities including Muslims legal framework to be recognized as Religionsgesellschaften (religious societies).

[12] The most significant Muslim faith association of the interwar period was the Islamischer Kulturbund, which was set up by the Egyptian-born doctor and activist Dr Zaki Ali, the pan-Arabic activist and businessman Mohammed Ali Binni and convert to Islam Baron Omar Rolf von Ehrenfels, its first president, to organize remaining and new Muslims in the country.

Contrary to reports in the media, the law does not regulate the version of the Koran that may be used in Austria, but central tenets of the religion must be presented to the authorities in German.

[24] Anyone wearing clothes that obscure their face in public is liable to a fine of €150 and must remove the offending garment "on the spot" if ordered by police.

[26] Among the opponents of the law were President Alexander Van der Bellen,[27] Georgetown University senior research fellow Farid Hafez,[23] and Austrian Islamic Religious Authority spokeswoman Carla Amina Baghajati.

[30][31] In 2018, chancellor Sebastian Kurz announced that Austria would close seven mosques and deport 40 imams paid by Turkey through the Diyanet organisation as measures to thwart political Islam.

[35] Citing studies which show that a significant number of Austrian Muslims hold anti-western and antisemitic views,[36][37] Kurz said that it would be necessary to monitor mosques, clubs, ideology and social media contributions in context with fundamental Islam in order to protect the liberal, democratic and secular society.

Leading figures form the DÖW have principally welcomed the government's plan and confirmed that there is a need to take a closer look at the dangers of political Islam.

[43] The same survey was also implemented in Germany and several right-wing German newspapers, including Die Welt,[48] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,[49] Wirtschaftswoche[50] have called the results concerning "close connection" superficial and too optimistic, because the study does not contain any information as to whether participants' values are compatible with western values Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whose political style is described as increasingly authoritarian and undemocratic, and his Islamic-conservative AKP Party gain huge election successes with Turkish citizens in Austria with up to 70 percent of votes.

In 2016 Sebastian Kurz, then foreign minister, from the ÖVP and some FPÖ members have urged participants of a pro-Erdoğan demonstration to leave Austria.

"[43] Austrian Muslims show high fundamental religious values and hostility against other groups according to a study that was published by WZB Berlin Social Science Center in 2013.

[36] Different approval rates also persisted after factors such as education, income, marital status, age and gender were taken into account, the study concluded that the reason is to some extent the religion.

[36] On 9 November 2020, Austrian authorities undertook police action against presumed networks of Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood in the country and 60 locations were searched.

[54] A Tag der offenen Moschee (Open Mosque Day) was first organized in October 2013 with the aim of building interfaith connections between Austrian Muslims and non-Muslims.

[55] According to the MIPEX Index, access barriers to the labor market for immigrants are relatively low but unemployment is significantly more common among Muslims than among the average population at large.