Austrian Imams Outline Ambitious Goals at

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 001376

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL SOCI AU
SUBJECT: Austrian Imams Outline Ambitious Goals at
Conference


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Summary
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1. (U) Austrian Imams held a conference April 24 in
Vienna. The Islamic community's spiritual
representatives adopted a declaration stressing the
commitment of Muslims to be an integral part of Austrian
society, condemning extremism and terrorism, and
emphasizing the rights of women in Islam. End Summary.

The Conference
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2. (U) The conference gathered about 160 imams,
religious teachers and theologians for one day to discuss
the situation of Muslims in Austria. The Austrian
Islamic Community, the official representative of the
Islamic faith to the Austrian government, organized the
conference. The Islamic Community said the attendees
included various ethnicities and different Islamic
schools of thought. Austrian government officials,
including Member of Parliament Werner Fasslabend, Vienna
City Councillor for Integration Issues Sonja Wehsely, and
Florian Haug from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA)
Cultural Section, spoke at the opening of the conference,
which was otherwise not open to the public. For 2006,
the Islamic Community and the MFA are planning an
international conference as a follow-up to the June 2003
conference of European imams in Graz.

The Islamic Community in Austria
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3. (U) There are about 339,000 Muslims in Austria,
representing some 4.2 percent of the population. The
highest percentages are in Vienna and in Austria's
westernmost state, Vorarlberg. Turkish Muslims form the
largest single group, with 123,000. Islam has been one
of Austria's 13 recognized religions since 1912. This
entitles Muslims to religious instruction in schools.
The Austrian Islamic Community operates a Pedagogic
Academy to train religion teachers. The right of Muslim
women to wear headscarves is uncontested. Ritual
slaughtering is legal if performed by trained personnel.

Topics at the Conference - Final Declaration
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4. (U) The purpose of the conference was, according to
the President of the Austrian Islamic Community, Anas
Schakfeh, to highlight the fact that Muslims in Austria
are "part of Austrian society and want to live together
in peace." The conference's final declaration notes that
the status of Islam as a recognized religion "promotes a
dialogue based on equality and a climate of social and
religious peace". The document stresses that Muslims
increasingly suffer from the fact that Islam is
associated in the public mind with terrorism. It notes
that, in reaction, Muslims must focus on mutual respect,
tolerance and rejection of terrorism. The declaration,
which all mosques in Austria are to post, emphasizes the
necessity to provide equal opportunities for women, in
particular in view of phenomena such as forced marriage
and insufficient access of women to education. Twenty-
five female religous leaders participated at the
conference.

Comment
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5. (SBU) The conference was an important signal by
Muslim spiritual leaders for the orientation of Islam in
Austria: that Muslims are not "a minority in the diaspora
in Austria," but are a "resident religious community that
feels at home here." It is key to note, however, that it
was the official Islamic organization in the country that
sponsored the event. Conference organizers announced at
the outset that attendees would adopt a statement of
principles that included a rejection of any form of
extremism. Although there are some known proponents of
radical Islam in Austria, it was clear that they would
not have a voice at this conference. The implementation
of the declaration's ambitious demands will be key.
Problem areas include political extremism and issues
relating to women's rights, such as forced marriage. It
will also be important, as the conference organizers have
stressed, that Imams increasingly preach in German, which
is crucial for the integration of the Muslim community
into Austrian society.
BROWN