Viennese imam quoted after anti-Semitic posts about IGGÖ president

As “Austria” reported on Thursday, the imam of a mosque in Vienna-Meidling wrote something like “Allah, (…) don’t let any of them (meaning Jews, note) live.” Contact has already been made with his religious community, but the imam is currently abroad, an IGGÖ spokeswoman told the APA.

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Before there are consequences, they want to give him the opportunity to “take a stand.” The Assalam Mosque at the Schöpfwerk is largely visited by people with Egyptian roots and has been part of the IGGÖ since 2016. “Even if he doesn’t make these statements in the mosque, what he writes on social media is relevant,” said the spokeswoman. According to “Standard”, the imam is also chairman of the associated association of the prayer house at the Schöpfwerk. This is proven by the most recent association register extract.

According to the newspaper’s translation of several posts written in Arabic, the chairman of the “Assalam Mosque Association for the Integration of Muslims” wrote something like “O Allah, defeat the Jews and support the Mujahideen who are fighting for Allah in Palestine.” Also in January of this year, he wrote a post with the content “Murder flows in their veins, these are the Jews! A disgusting people, criminals, bloodthirsty people… They only understand the language of blood and murder.” Some of the posts were edited yesterday evening – shortly after the article first appeared online – and the incriminated parts were removed.

Consequences demanded

The president of the Israelite religious community, Oskar Deutsch, called for consequences. The IGGÖ should publicly condemn the preacher’s statements and ensure “that he never preaches in Austrian mosques again.” But that’s not the end of it, says Deutsch: “The security authorities must do everything in their power to ensure that this imam and those around him do not pose a threat. I assume that this is already happening, as is the criminal prosecution by the judiciary. Should If the man is not an Austrian citizen, he will be deported,” Deutsch told “oe24”. According to APA information, the security authorities are currently examining the case.

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And the Ministry of Culture has also initiated investigations against the imam under the Islamic law. Accordingly, officials should be removed if their behavior “sustainably endangers public safety, order, health and morals or the rights and freedoms of others,” said a statement from the office of Education Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP). If the Imam’s statements are confirmed, they would clearly contradict Islamic law.

“Full enlightenment”

The NEOS spokeswoman for internal affairs, Stephanie Krisper, demands “full clarification” from Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and Culture Minister Raab (both ÖVP) and announces parliamentary questions. “The federal government rightly always points out that anti-Semitism must have no place in our society. But at the same time, it shows too little commitment to checking mosques and clubs for extremist behavior and, if necessary, closing them down. Did the authorities even have this imam and his postings? on the radar?”