Austria has forbidden the financing of Islamic clerics from abroad. For vortex first processes against the imams, which receive steam money now. The model character of this approach is controversial.
Imams in Austria for the signing of a Declaration against extremism, 2017
In Austria, the foreign makes combat financing of mosques for heated word. At the latest the closure of the seven mosques and the expulsion of dozens of imams in the past year, the emotions run high. Was justified the crackdown by the Austrian government with the suspicion that the Muslim clergy would be paid directly by the Turkish religious authority. Since 2015 this is prohibited by a new Islam law in the Alpine country. Therein, it is stated that as a public Corporation to a recognized religious community has to cover the running costs of the chaplaincy from domestic financial sources. And the Muslims in Austria are, in contrast to Germany, since 100 years as the “Islamic faith community in Austria” fully and legally recognised.
A conscious confrontation against Muslims?
Against the regulation of numerous constitutional actions are pending on their decision, many anxiously waiting. The allegation of the critics is that the Austrian state to interfere in the internal Affairs of the believers. The conservative-right-wing populist government of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) interfere with the lawsuits, however, little. There was begun, the law according to its wording. 60 of a total of 260 imams in Austria are reviewed. Professor Georg Lienbacher, a member of the Austrian constitutional court, explains in a DW interview that, according to the text of the law have to be made, the payment of an “ordinary pastor” in Germany. In Germany, a few politicians are calling from the conservatives and right-wing populist camp, that Germany takes this as an example. But also in other political Camps action is considered necessary.
Austria’s government wants to show hardness: (from right) Minister of the interior, Herbert Kickl (FPÖ), Vice-Chancellor, Karl-Heinz Strache (FPÖ) and the Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP)
Volker Beck, a long-time member of the German Bundestag of the Greens, and a vocal critic of the Muslim associations in Germany, calls on the Bundestag to Act. In a DW interview he calls for a transparency law, the non-governmental organizations and religious communities are equally recognised. The could disclose financial flows from abroad – what was urgently required: “We know in the case of Turkey, to some extent, how the financing works. What are the Arab and the North African States are doing here, we don’t know.”
The delicate call for more openness
Sensitive to such a proposal, however, is that, of all things, German top politicians have held in the past loudly against similar-according to the laws in Israel or Russia. There are foreign non-governmental organizations were forced in a different way, your financial sources to disclose. Beck sees no contradiction in this, because it is precisely the Russian legislation appeared to have been politically motivated, which is why a comparison forbid. In Russia, non-governmental organizations would be forced to be politically classified with foreign donors to declare by an order of the Ministry of justice to the public as a foreign Agent. “That is not required to make transparency,” says Beck. There was, however, rather to defame human rights organizations.
The importance of a control of the foreign financial flows, makes Beck on the “dual character” of the Islamic organizations. “Many of the mosque associations that we have here, work in the home countries as a political movement or as a political party”. He cites the example of the Cologne-based Organisation ATIB, which operates in English as “Union of the Turkish-Islamic cultural associations in Europe e. V.”. ATIB is often referred to as the German Arm of the “Grey wolves”movement, which applies in Turkey as a nationalist party. As another example, Beck cites the Islamic community Milli Görüs, also based in Cologne. She had been in Turkey, originally part of the Erbakan’s party. The Turkish politician Necmettin Erbakan is considered to be the political Mentor of the current Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his AKP party. Milli Görüs in Germany for many years under surveillance by the constitutional protection, but a member of the Islamrats for the Federal Republic of Germany.
The representatives of the Islamic associations to visit with Federal President of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier in January 2018.
Not a “special law for Muslims”
In an interview with DW, the Chairman of the Islamrats for the Federal Republic of Germany, Burhan Kesici, irritated. The discussion will show how little the German Public knew about the “Islamic infrastructure”. “I know of no single mosque that is financed from abroad,” says Kesici. He speaks of individual cases, if salaries are included for imams from Turkey and makes a difference between the pay of the imams and the ongoing costs for the operation of the mosques.
“The municipalities in Germany are financed by member contributions and donations, 100 percent of yourself.” Official statistics on this topic. Kesici warns the Federal policy is that, as in the case of Austria, a “special law for Muslims”. “If this is done in General, then that’s fine, if it is specifically done only for Muslims, then we are of course against it.”
Volker Beck, earlier religious-political spokesman of the Green parliamentary party
For Volker Beck, it is clear that there is, in contrast to the Muslim Community of the smaller religious minorities from foreign countries that managed to Finance itself in Germany, without foreign capital. “Because you have to say to the Muslims, you are great, you can Finance it myself.”
In Austria, the debate has taken recently a new turn. In a public appeal launched by the newly elected President of the Islamic religious community of Austria, Ümit Vural appealed to the Public. Austria have now imams to a variety of expulsions is not enough anymore, to the mosque-operation to maintain.