“There are no restrictions whatsoever,” Shafqa

By Radwa Hassan, IOL Staff

TRIPOLI, October 24 (IslamOnline.net) – Enjoying a wide margin of religious freedom and tolerance, Muslim Austrians seek a more effective political and social role in the European country, said the head of the Islamic Religious Authority in Austria.

Numbered some 400,000, or five percent of the 8.1 million population, Muslims in Austria have a better status than in most of the European Union countries, Anas Al-Sahqfa told IslamOnline.net in a recent religious forum in Tripoli.

"Islam is taught to more than 40,000 students in the country’s government-run schools, and the teachers of the subject are appointed by the Islamic Religious Authority", he said.

"Muslims were also allowed off their work in religious holidays, and are offered a meal to break their fast in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan," he added.

Shafqa cited the example of Muslims’ lifestyle in the army as the best to indicate religious tolerance in the secular country.

"They got halal food, and allowed to make prayers except at the times of military exercises," he said.

As for the issue of hijab, the Islamic leader affirmed there was no constraints on donning the Islamic headwear in all institutions of education and places of work.

Under the Austrian constitution, the right to free practice of religious rituals "is guaranteed to peoples of all faiths".

"There are no restrictions whatsoever, " Shafqa said, however, admitting some individual incidents.

Sometimes, a school headmaster prevents girls from wearing hijab, prompting the Authority’s intervention to solve the problem.

Shafqa attributes this tolerant atmosphere to "the fact that Austria’s secularism pays respect to, and render services to all religious groups, unlike the case with other European countries".

The issue of hijab has recently sparked much controversy in other European countries such as France, where Social Affairs Minister Francois Fillon had voiced support for a bill forbidding "the ostentatious wearing of any religious sings in schools."

‘Peaceful Coexistence’

In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, Austria was the least to bear the brunt of a surge of hate crimes against Muslims experienced in western countries, said Shafqa.

One day after the hijackings, the Austrian chancellor invited representative of all religions to his office to probe ways to evade the impact of the crisis, he reminisced.

The chancellor also held a meeting with E.U. ambassadors "to stress Muslims and non Muslims’ condemnation of the terrorist attack, and that they are keen on peaceful co-existence".

The President of the country also invited religious community leaders for a large ceremony in which Qur’anic verses blared out in the presidential palace for the first time ever, Shafqa said.

The Government also sent a strong statement against discrimination by repeatedly stating that the fight against terror was not a fight against Islam.

‘Stereotypical’

But Shafqa took notice of the stereotypical nature of European societies, "to which Austria is no exception".

"For the sake of integration, Muslims still need more time and effort for interacting with the civil society institutions and churches," said Shafqa.

The country has experienced a rise in immigration from countries such as Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina, which has increased the number of Muslims in the country.

Nevertheless, Muslims own no TV or radio station to take their voices out, lamented the Austrian Islamic leader.

But he commended attempts of Muslims to play a political role in recent years, citing a Muslim MP who had won Vienna elections with a large base of support from the people of his faith.

Political parties, mainly the Austrian People’s Party, began to pay attention to Muslims’ votes.

"And Muslims try to have close ties with these parties, especially the People’s Party which enjoys a majority in the current government".

According to the International Religious Freedom Report 2002, issued by Bureau of Democracy and Human Rights in the U.S. State Department, there was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom in Austria.

The report said there are generally amicable relations among the various religious groups, as there was no marked deterioration in the atmosphere of religious tolerance in the country during the period covered by this report released.

In the fall of 2001, there was concern among the Muslim community that there would be an increase in attacks on Muslims and their property, but there was no attacks.

The Islamic Religious Community hails the long history of cooperation between the Government and Islam, which began during the last century, said the report.