The Austrian government announced Friday that the country would be taking drastic steps to counter “political Islam” that is being imported by Turkish-backed religious organizations. Officials stated that they were prepared to expel up to 60 Imams and close as many as seven mosques across the country.
The imams and mosques in question have ties to the Turkish-Islamic Cultural Associations (ATIB), an organization which is part of the Turkish religious affairs agency according to the AFP.
The announcement came after the Austrian Government launched an investigation into several activities organized by the mosques and Imams. One of the more alarming events was a “reenactment” of the World War 1 battle of Gallipoli, in which some of the boys who attend the mosques were “playing dead having fallen in battle, and then being draped in Turkish flag,” the Guardian reports.
Austria’s Chancellor, Sebastian Kurz, stated that political and radical Islam have “no place in our country,” according to the Guardian.
Turkish leaders in Ankara have denounced the move, saying it is fueled by anti-Islamic sentiments and racism.
“Austria’s decision to shut down numerous mosques and deport imams with a lame excuse is a reflection of the anti-Islam, racist and discriminatory populist wave in this country,” said İbrahim Kalin, a spokesman for Turkish president Recep Erdoğan via twitter.
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
If the Austrians do carry out the plan, up to 150 people — mainly the Imams and their families — may be forced to leave the country, the AFP reports.