Austria shuts down seven mosques, expels foreign-funded imams
Vienna, June 8 (IBNS): The Austrian government on Friday confirmed that it is shutting down seven mosques and even expel imams who they consider as being funded by foreign countries.
Country's Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has said that the move was being taken as crackdown on political Islam.
"Due to violations of the # Islam Act , we are now disassembling the Mosque of the Gray Wolves, as well as the Arab Religious Community, and expose [real expel] up to 40 # imams of ATIB for violating the ban on # foreign funding," Kurz tweeted.
Aufgrund von Verstößen gegen das #Islamgesetz lösen wir nun die Moschee der Grauen Wölfe, sowie die Arabische Kultusgemeinde auf und weisen bis zu 40 #Imame von ATIB wegen Verstoß gegen das Verbot der #Auslandsfinanzierung aus. 2/3 pic.twitter.com/maZVYmbMNC
— Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) June 8, 2018
Wir handeln damit entschieden und aktiv gegen Fehlentwicklungen und die Bildung von #Parallelgesellschaften - und werden das auch weiterhin tun, wenn es zu Verstößen gegen das #Islamgesetz kommt. 3/3
— Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) June 8, 2018
"We are acting decisively and actively against undesirable developments and the formation of #parallel societies - and will continue to do so if there are violations of the # Islam Law," he said on the Twitter handle.
Seit 2015 gibt es das #Islamgesetz, das dem Kultusamt im Kanzleramt umfassende Möglichkeiten bietet, bei Verdacht auf Verstoß gegen das Gesetz selbst tätig zu werden u d BMI einzuschalten. Das ist unter meinen Vorgängern 3 Jahre lang nicht passiert. Jetzt ändert sich das. 1/3
— Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) June 8, 2018
"Since 2015 there is the # Islam Act , which provides the Office of the Constitution in the Chancellery comprehensive opportunities to act on suspicion of violation of the law itself and turn on BMI. That did not happen among my predecessors for 3 years. Now that changes," he tweeted.
"Some mosques are suspected of having links to Turkish nationalists. In April images emerged showing children in Turkish army uniforms re-enacting World War One's Battle of Gallipoli," he was quoted saying by the BBC.
Meanwhile, the Turkish government has protested against the Austrian counterpart's move.
They have even called the step as 'Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory'.
Country's Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin condemned the entire step and tweeted: "Austria’s decision to close seven mosques and expel imams is a reflection of the Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory wave in this country. It is an attempt to target Muslim communities for the sake of scoring cheap political points."
1/Austria’s decision to close seven mosques and expel imams is a reflection of the Islamophobic, racist and discriminatory wave in this country. It is an attempt to target Muslim communities for the sake of scoring cheap political points.
— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) June 8, 2018
The Austrian government’s ideologically charged practices are in violation of universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights and the ethics of co-existence. Efforts to normalize Islamophobia and racism must be rejected under all circumstances.
— Ibrahim Kalin (@ikalin1) June 8, 2018
"The Austrian government’s ideologically charged practices are in violation of universal legal principles, social integration policies, minority rights and the ethics of co-existence. Efforts to normalize Islamophobia and racism must be rejected under all circumstances," he said.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said political Islam and radicalisation tendencies have no space in his nation.
"Parallel societies, political Islam and radicalisation tendencies have no place in our country," Chancellor Kurz was quoted as saying by BBC.
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