Austria passes controversial reforms to 1912 Islam law

[Dovah]

The Austrian parliament has passed controversial reforms to the country's century-old law on Islam.

The bill, which is partly aimed at tackling Islamist radicalism, gives Muslims more legal security but bans foreign funding for mosques and imams.

Austria's Integration Minister, Sebastian Kurz, defended the reforms but Muslim leaders say they fail to treat them equally.

The 1912 law made Islam an official religion in Austria.

It has been widely held up as a model for Europe in dealing with Islam.

Mr Kurz also stressed the bill was not a reaction to recent attacks by Islamic extremists in France and Denmark.

Meanwhile the legislation has drawn wide reaction from Muslims across the world, with Turkey's head of religious affairs, Mehmet Gormez, adding his condemnation on Tuesday.

"Austria will go back 100 years in freedom with its Islam bill," Mr Gormez said, according to Turkey's state-funded Anadolu news agency.

Roughly half a million Muslims live in Austria today, around 6% of the population. Many of them have Turkish or Bosnian roots.

The parliamentary vote in Austria came as the French government announced plans to improve dialogue with France's Muslim community.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the government would increase consultations with Muslim leaders.

It would also double the number of university courses for imams - making them obligatory for Islamic chaplains in prisons and the armed forces - to ensure they are "faithful to the values of the Republic", he said.

BBC News - Austria passes controversial reforms to 1912 Islam law

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This seems strange for a Western nation considering the evangelical export on their part. Also, note that the ban only applies to Islamic groups.

 

[Ray]

What is controversial in not allowing foreign funding.

Islam is one of the official religion and it should subsist on the munificence of it adherents in that country.

It should also apply to all religions recognised in Austria.

 

[indiatester]

What is controversial in not allowing foreign funding.

Islam is one of the official religion and it should subsist on the munificence of it adherents in that country.

It should also apply to all religions recognised in Austria.

It would be great if we can implement the same in India too. No foreign funding for religious activities.

 

[dastan]

It would be great if we can implement the same in India too. No foreign funding for religious activities.

Yes ban foreign funding for all religions.

 

[apple]

This seems strange for a Western nation considering the evangelical export on their part. Also, note that the ban only applies to Islamic groups.

In 1912 Bosnia was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Islam being an official religion of Austria, was just a historic relic.

The Christian church and Western nation are, to varying degrees, seperate. No Western nations "exports" missionaries, rather churches in those countries do.

 

[apple]

Fair enough. But don't you think a selective ban on only Islamic institutions is a little prosecutory?

Aren't sure what you mean by prosecutory, but yes this law does seem a bit strange. In particular as Austria is a Roman Catholic country whose leadership isn't Austria and is a very international organisation.

That being said, I'm actually a fan of countries coming up with special, especially discriminatory laws against Islam and Muslims.

 

[Tshering22]

It would be great if we can implement the same in India too. No foreign funding for religious activities.

For that, our stupid citizens especially the Hindus and those who follow their sister faiths, must open their eyes and get out of the anarchist secular-Nazi dreamworld where Middle East and Vatican are our masters.

 

[Tshering22]

Fair enough. But don't you think a selective ban on only Islamic institutions is a little prosecutory?

After what history India has with Islamic invaders and Muslim rulers in general?

Hardly. It will be a much awaited step.

 

[Free Karma]

Fair enough. But don't you think a selective ban on only Islamic institutions is a little prosecutory?

It depends on what they see a threat as. They do not see the church or others as a threat. Because lets face it, this stuff really is all about controlling and changing peoples minds using religion.

In India we would do well to ban funding of such funding both wrt xtians and muslims, both of which do pose a threat, through terrorism, separatists or just causing social tension and blocking things (KKNP for ex).

I think Modi administration already blocks a lot of them for not showing proper accounts, and some Wahabi preachers have been turned away.

Check this out about the U.S govts use of religious export:
Annual Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs to the Secretary of the Interior

One of the ways the found to be particularly useful control they thought of was the usage of schools, and funded them a lot, this offered them unrestricted access to shape peoples thoughts without question. This was aided by the British shut down of Indian indigenous educational institutions. This in the modern day ties into the RTE, which gives a lot of exemptions to "minority schools".

Here is another one about Japan:
The Allied Occupation of Japan 1945-1952 and Japanese Religions

WRT to islamists ideas, it's very easy to see - Lal Masjid in Pakistan, madrassas that are monitored, and especially the ones externally funded externally, all tend to produce a certain type of individual (for example bomb making in Bengal).

Even many in Pakistan are demanding something similar:
Foreign funding to religious seminaries should be stopped: MQM senator - Pakistan - DAWN.COM