Banning Political Islam in Austria? A Leading Expert Responds

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The debate over banning political Islam in Austria is gaining traction as negotiations to form a new ruling coalition are underway, raising fresh questions on the matter.

• Austrian Intelligence Reveals 5 “Dangerous” Activities of the Muslim Brotherhood

• New details of Austria’s Muslim Brotherhood cells

In late November, the reputable Austrian magazine Profil reported, citing unnamed sources, that the People’s Party, currently forming a new government, is proposing a law to ban “political Islam,” focusing particularly on the Muslim Brotherhood. This proposal is modeled after Austria’s anti-Nazi legislation and is being discussed as part of coalition negotiations with the Social Democratic Party and the liberal NEOS party.

The debate has also reached the grassroots level. In September, the public opinion research institute Unique Research surveyed 800 individuals over the age of 16 with voting rights on this proposal.

• Strong Parliamentary Action against Brotherhood Arm in Austria

• Austria issues a book about the Brotherhood, The group’s secrets in Europe and important recommendations

The results revealed that a clear majority—67%—supported the adoption of a law banning political Islam, similar to Austria’s anti-Nazi legislation.

Adnan Aslan, a professor at the University of Vienna and known for his firm stance against Islamist extremism said: “Unfortunately, efforts to counter the Muslim Brotherhood have not been entirely successful.”

He added, during his frequent interviews with leading Austrian media outlets such as Kurier, Krone, and national television: “The Muslim Brotherhood operates with high professionalism and employs top lawyers using their financial resources.”

• Austria expands Brotherhood law to right-wing organizations

• Brotherhood ‘threats’ put two ministers under special guard in Austria

He continued: “Our authorities still do not fully understand the danger posed by this organization. They operate extremely secretly and propagate numerous lies, presenting themselves as great democrats while doing nothing but destroying democracy.”

Regarding the debate over banning political Islam, Aslan stated: “People are discussing a ban, but I have significant doubts about whether we can actually achieve this, as it is difficult to legally define political Islam.”

He further explained: “Moreover, organizations affiliated with political Islam wield considerable political influence and financial resources, making any ban challenging to implement.”

• The brotherhood are subjected to severe raids by the Austrian authorities

• The Brotherhood worked to establish its schools in Europe to expand its ideas

However, he added: “With the growing strength of right-wing parties, we will discuss this ban more intensively in the coming years.”

As for solutions to tackle political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood in Austria, the University of Vienna professor said: “We can only succeed if we work together internationally because Austria alone cannot solve this problem.”

He concluded: “It is an international issue. We increasingly need the support of Islamic countries, which can provide more information about the Muslim Brotherhood, the Turkish Milli Görüs movement, and others, so we can legally define these organizations.”

• Analysts reveal the danger of Muslim Brotherhood expansion in European Societies

• On June 30… Which countries have classified the Muslim Brotherhood as a “Terrorist Organization”?

Since 2019, Austria has been waging a strong campaign against political Islam and the Muslim Brotherhood. This began with banning symbols of these and other extremist organizations, followed by legal investigations and police raids targeting Brotherhood members, and establishing a center to document the activities of these movements.