Anglojew
02-26-2015, 09:21 AM
Controversial new laws regulating the practice of Islam have been passed in Austria, in a move criticised by some as setting back religious freedom by a century.
The so-called 'Law on Islam' bans foreign funding for Islamic organisations in the country, and orders any group claiming to represent Austrian Muslims to use a standardised German translation of the Qur'an.
The goverment has indicated the law was targeted at tackling Islamic extremism, claiming religious militancy is on the rise, with an estimated 170 people leaving to join jihadist fighters in Syria and Iraq.
It says the bill, which updates a law first passed in 1912, strengthens Muslims' legal status by protecting their religious holidays and food restrictions, and guaranteeing Islamic pastoral care in hospitals and the army.
We want an Islam of the Austrian kind, and not one that is dominated by other countries.
– Sebastian Kurz, Foreign Minister
But critics have pointed out Austria has not seen any of the extremist violence which has left dozens of people dead in recent months, including 17 killed during three days of terror attacks in Paris, and say general relations are good.
There are in the region of half a million Muslims in Austria, making up around six per cent of the population - many of whom are the families of Turkish migrant workers - who will be affected by the new restrictions, the likes of which to do not apply to any other community.
A large number of their imams and mosques are financed by Turkey's state religious affairs directorate, the Diyanet, which has spoken out against the laws.
With this... legislation, religious freedoms in Austria will have fallen back a hundred years.
– Mehmet Gormez, Diyanet chief
The legislation faced little opposition from the majority Roman Catholic population, was backed by the country's Catholic bishops, and was grudgingly accepted by the country's biggest Islamic organisation, IGGiO.
But the IGGiO's youth arm was vocal in its opposition, as was the Turkish-Islamic Union in Austria, which faces losing its Turkish funding under the changes and has now vowed to challenge the bill in the Constitutional Court.
Meanwhile, the country's far-right Freedom Party opposed the bill as too mild.
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-02-25/controversial-islam-law-passed-by-austria-government/
The so-called 'Law on Islam' bans foreign funding for Islamic organisations in the country, and orders any group claiming to represent Austrian Muslims to use a standardised German translation of the Qur'an.
The goverment has indicated the law was targeted at tackling Islamic extremism, claiming religious militancy is on the rise, with an estimated 170 people leaving to join jihadist fighters in Syria and Iraq.
It says the bill, which updates a law first passed in 1912, strengthens Muslims' legal status by protecting their religious holidays and food restrictions, and guaranteeing Islamic pastoral care in hospitals and the army.
We want an Islam of the Austrian kind, and not one that is dominated by other countries.
– Sebastian Kurz, Foreign Minister
But critics have pointed out Austria has not seen any of the extremist violence which has left dozens of people dead in recent months, including 17 killed during three days of terror attacks in Paris, and say general relations are good.
There are in the region of half a million Muslims in Austria, making up around six per cent of the population - many of whom are the families of Turkish migrant workers - who will be affected by the new restrictions, the likes of which to do not apply to any other community.
A large number of their imams and mosques are financed by Turkey's state religious affairs directorate, the Diyanet, which has spoken out against the laws.
With this... legislation, religious freedoms in Austria will have fallen back a hundred years.
– Mehmet Gormez, Diyanet chief
The legislation faced little opposition from the majority Roman Catholic population, was backed by the country's Catholic bishops, and was grudgingly accepted by the country's biggest Islamic organisation, IGGiO.
But the IGGiO's youth arm was vocal in its opposition, as was the Turkish-Islamic Union in Austria, which faces losing its Turkish funding under the changes and has now vowed to challenge the bill in the Constitutional Court.
Meanwhile, the country's far-right Freedom Party opposed the bill as too mild.
http://www.itv.com/news/2015-02-25/controversial-islam-law-passed-by-austria-government/