(Deutsche Welle) Since the start of 2021, Austria has required the registration of all imams in the country.
The mandate was one of several new measures Chancellor Sebastian Kurz’s government adopted after a November 2 terror attack in Vienna. Four civilians were killed and 23 injured after a 20-year-old gunman opened fire in the center of the Austrian capital.
Now Austria is calling for the European Union to adopt the registration of imams, the worship leaders of mosques in Muslim communities.
Why is Austria calling for EU imam registration?
In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt published Saturday, Austria’s Minister for European Affairs Karoline Edtstadler said imam registration was key for “the fight against political Islam.”