Guarantee the freedom of religion or belief for all and ensure the rights of Muslims to practice religion freely including the wearing of veils
Proponent:
Anti-Muslim racism is a worrying and growing phenomenon in Austria. According to the Anti-Muslim Racism Report 2023 by the Documentation Centre Austria, a total of 1522 cases were reported, a record high since the beginning of the survey. Two thirds of these incidents took place online, while the rest occurred in the real world, including discrimination in public spaces, such as verbal insults and physical assaults. Women, especially those wearing headscarves, are particularly affected.
In the education sector, incidents such as insulting comments from classmates or threats from school administrators towards praying Muslim pupils have been documented. The spread of hate online is particularly problematic, accounting for almost 90 per cent of reported online incidents. Experts warn that these incidents are deepening social divisions and threatening social cohesion (see documentary Report 2023: https://dokustelle.at/reports/dokustelle-report-2023). In an open letter to the Austrian federal government, civil society calls for the introduction of the criminal offence of „political Islam“ to be dropped. The reason for this is the lack of scientific uniformity in the definition of this term, which could allow it to be used indiscriminately. The concern is that this could lead to generalised suspicions and executive measures against Muslims. The organisation also appeals for protection against discrimination and the preservation of religious freedom by ensuring that state authorities allow all communities to practise their religion freely and equally. It also emphasises that deradicalisation and counter-terrorism strategies must respect the rights of Muslim women to protection from discrimination and freedom of expression. Finally, it calls for religious practices and clothing not to be used as indicators of radicalisation and for surveillance not to be carried out on the basis of membership of Islam or Muslim organisations in order to avoid blanket criminalisation. In 2023, the Documentation Centre Austria documented a total of 1522 racist attacks against Muslim
and persons perceived as Muslim. This figure is made up of cases that were reported offline and cases that were recorded as part of intensified online monitoring. However, the organisation emphasises that the actual number of attacks is likely to be higher;While there are political strategies against anti-Semitism, there is no comparable approach to anti-Muslim racism. Instead, measures are taken that lead to prejudgements against people perceived as Muslim. The establishment of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam and Operation Luxor reinforce a general suspicion of Muslims and lead to people withdrawing from social discourse, a reduction in diversity of opinion and restrictions on participation. Freedom of opinion, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and freedom of assembly can be restricted on the basis of membership of a particular group, which has a negative impact on basic democratic principles (Website of the Federal Chancellery – Documentation Centre for Political Islam: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/nachrichten-der-bundesregierung/2020/integrationsministerin-raab-dokumentationsstelle-politischer-islam-nimmt-arbeit-auf.html). As part of the Government Plan 2025-2029, the Federal Government is pursuing this goal through close cooperation with all stakeholders (see Government Plan 2ß025-2029: https://www.bundeskanzleramt.gv.at/bundeskanzleramt/die-bundesregierung/regierungsdokumente.html).In July 2021, the „anti-terror package“ was passed in Austria, but this raised concerns from civil society organisations and UN experts. In particular, it was feared that the paragraph on „religiously motivated extremist connections“ could stigmatise Muslims (see Terrorism Prevention Act – TeBG (849 d.B.): https://www.parlament.gv.at/gegenstand/XXVII/I/849). Despite concerns, law enforcement agencies used facial recognition technologies without a clear legal basis, resulting in potential discrimination against gender and ethnic minorities and interference with the rights to privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. Racial profiling by the police continued to be practised and effective mechanisms to investigate these practices were lacking (see Human Rights Situation in Austria 2022, Amnesty International Austria: https://www.amnesty.at/themen/menschenrechte-in-oesterreich/menschenrechtslage-in-oesterreich-2022-amnesty-jahresbericht/). The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities entered into force in Austria on 1 July 1998 in order to protect and promote the rights of national minorities. The current report of the Secretariat of the Framework Convention emphasises that Austria is continuing its efforts to safeguard the rights of national minorities. Despite a significant increase in funding for national minorities to almost 8 million euros in 2021 and the adoption of new laws to combat hate speech and violent hate crimes, challenges remain, particularly in minority language education and in the area of mutual respect and intercultural dialogue. In contrast, there is no clear responsibility at federal level to combat anti-black racism, anti-Muslim racism and racism in general. Little action has been taken, particularly with regard to awareness-raising measures against discrimination against people with disabilities and limited abilities, as well as promoting self-empowerment and human rights.
