Academics & Education

SPÖ-linked teachers call Austria’s hijab ban ‘off target’ Vienna’s planned Islamic headscarf restrictions for girls up to the eighth grade have drawn criticism from Social Democratic teachers.

(European Conservative) Austria’s planned headscarf ban for girls under 14 has sparked new criticism — this time from teachers’ unions linked to the Social Democratic Party. The teachers’ representative body called the measure a “blatant miss of the mark,” arguing that the […]

Government & Politics

Legal storm: Vienna judges endorse Sharia arbitration Politicians warn the ruling could open the door to religious legal systems in Austria’s courts and weaken the rule of law.

(European Conservative) A court in Vienna has caused a storm after confirming that a financial ruling based on Islamic law, or Sharia, is legally valid in Austria. Critics say the judgment opens the door to “parallel justice” and undermines the country’s legal […]

Government & Politics

Austrian leader pushes EU asylum overhaul under far-right pressure The bloc’s asylum laws 'no longer correspond to their original intention,' Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker says in FT interview.

(Politico) Austria’s Chancellor Christian Stocker is calling for an overhaul of EU asylum rules as his government faces mounting pressure from the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), which topped last year’s parliamentary elections. Stocker, leader of the center-right People’s Party (ÖVP), said in […]

Children & Teens

Austrian authorities warn of ‘high-risk’ Islamist threat after another thwarted attack FPÖ says the planned attack by a 14-year-old radicalized on the internet was 'the direct result of the failed integration policy and the open borders that open the door to radical Islamists.'

(European Conservative) Austria is facing “high-risk threats” of Islamist terrorism, according to the head of the Central European country’s domestic intelligence agency, who spoke after yet another terrorist attack, this time targeting a railway station, was thwarted. Austrian authorities announced on Wednesday, […]

Academics & Education

Incoming Austrian government to crack down on those ‘unwilling to integrate’ As coalition talks continue, the fight against political Islam is the one area where the two parties are close to consensus.

(European Conservative) Negotiations between the right-wing Freedom Party (FPÖ) and the centre-right People’s Party (ÖVP) to form the next Austrian government have still not come to a conclusion, following a month of talks. The one issue both parties have come to an […]

Christians

It’s ‘Islamophobic’ to demand Muslims integrate, Austrian state broadcaster says While antisemitic incidents increased by 160% in a year, government-funded ORF is concerned about Austrians’ attitude towards Muslims.

(European Conservative) Austrian citizens’ desire for Muslims to adapt to Austrian culture is “Islamophobic,” the country’s state broadcaster has claimed. According to a recently released study by the University of Vienna, 75% of Austrians agreed with the statement that Muslims should adapt […]

Books

Germany: SPD formally expels former Berlin senator Thilo Sarrazin An arbitration committee upheld the Social Democrats' decision to expel Sarrazin over Islamophobic rhetoric. The ruling marked the party's third attempt to oust him after almost a decade fighting in court.

(Deutsche Welle) Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD) have finally managed to expel controversial politician turned author Thilo Sarrazin, who has published a series of books over the last decade bearing little resemblance to the party’s stated positions. Sarrazin’s books criticizing the lack of […]