Austrian Govt To Shut Down 7 Mosques, Expel 40 Imams

Austria President; Alexander Van der Bellen (CNN)

Austria Moves Against Islamist Ideology.

In its implementation of what it calls a Push Against Islamist ideology and foreign funding of religious people, the Austria’s right-wing government is set to shut down seven Mosques and expel 40 Imams.

Sycamore times report that the present government is a coalition government, an alliance of conservatives and the far right which came to power soon after Europe’s migration crisis  on the promise note of preventing another influx and clamp down on benefits for new immigrants and refugees.

In a previous job as minister in charge of integration, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz oversaw the passing of a tough “law on Islam” in 2015, which banned foreign funding of religious groups and created a duty for Muslim societies to have “a positive fundamental view towards (Austria’s) state and society”.

“Political Islam’s parallel societies and radicalizing tendencies have no place in our country,” Kurz told a news conference outlining the government’s decisions, which were based on that law.

Out of its 8.8 million population, 600,000 are Muslim inhabitants most of whom are Turkish or have families of Turkish origin.

One society that runs a mosque in Vienna and is influenced by the “Grey Wolves”, a Turkish nationalist youth group, would be shut down for operating illegally, the government said in a statement.

Authorities said an Arab Muslim group that runs at least six mosques would also be shut down.

“This is just the beginning,” far-right Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache told the news conference held by four cabinet members.

The ministers said up to 60 imams belonging to ATIB, a Muslim group close to the Turkish government, could be expelled from the country or have visas denied on grounds of receiving foreign funding.

A government handout put the number at 40, of whom 11 were under review and two had already received a negative ruling.