New monitoring center… the Muslim Brotherhood under dual scrutiny in Austria
Austrian authorities have strengthened their system for monitoring and overseeing political Islamist organizations, including the Muslim Brotherhood, through the establishment of a new monitoring center.
On Tuesday, the government of the state of Lower Austria approved the creation of a Center for Monitoring Islamist Extremism, tasked with tracking radicalization trends within the state as well as the activities of political Islamist organizations, among them the Muslim Brotherhood.
Lower Austria thus becomes the first Austrian state to establish a scientific instrument designed to identify extremist tendencies at an early stage, systematically collect information, and monitor developments before they escalate.
State Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner stated that “extremism is not a sudden emergency, but a gradual process. That is precisely why knowledge, analysis, and early intervention are essential.”
She added that “through the Center for Monitoring Islamist Extremism, we are creating an early warning system based on sound scientific principles, capable of identifying developments before they become a threat. Prevention means taking responsibility for security, social cohesion, and the protection of our democratic values.”
Deputy Governor Udo Landbauer, for his part, stressed that “we must prevent the infiltration of Islamism. Seemingly harmless incidents are often the first steps in political Islamist strategies.”
He warned that “the masterminds of political Islam seek to establish parallel societies aimed at undermining our democratic system. Those who ignore this have already lost.”
Enhanced surveillance
According to the adopted plan, the state government established the monitoring center at the Security Research Institute of the University of Applied Sciences in Wiener Neustadt, which will be responsible for observing currents of political Islam.
The new center differs from the Documentation Center on Political Islam, based in Vienna, which focuses on studying the activities of Islamist organizations and publishing research papers. The monitoring center, however, will combine scientific and security dimensions, placing these organizations under close scrutiny, according to observers.
In 2020, Austria established the Documentation Center on Political Islam, modeled on the center for right-wing extremism, and allocated a budget of €500,000 to it.
That center is tasked with monitoring the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamist organizations in the country, including their activities in mosques and on social media.
It brings together a large number of experts and conducts scientific analyses of the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist movements, which distinguishes it from the Center for Monitoring Islamist Extremism in Lower Austria.
However, the simultaneous operation of both institutions places the Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist organizations under dual surveillance in Austria, increasing pressure on them, according to analysts.
For several years, Austria has been working to counter the influence of the Muslim Brotherhood. It banned the group’s symbols in 2019, established the Documentation Center on Political Islam the following year, and simultaneously opened a judicial investigation that is still ongoing into the movement’s activities.
