Austria moves against Islamic radicals

Austria has never been a liberal society, so it is not surprising that it is to close seven mosques and expel up to 40 imams, in a move against Islamist ideology and foreign funding of religious groups.

Chancellor Sebastian Kurz declared that “political Islam’s parallel societies and radicalising tendencies have no place in our country”. In 2015, he oversaw a tough “law on Islam”, which banned foreign funding of religious groups and created a duty for Muslim societies to have “a positive, fundamental view towards (Austria’s) state and society”.

The move comes days after Denmark joined France, Belgium, and Austria in banning garments that cover the wearer’s face, including the niqab and burqa.

The advance of Islam across Europe is a huge challenge. Some basic tenets of that religion, and the social culture it supports, are impossible to reconcile with Enlightenment Europe. Iran’s persecution of gay people and the fact that just last week, in June 2018, Saudi Arabia granted driving licences to women for the first time, are expressions of a creed most Europeans regard as medieval.

Despite that, a way must be found to integrate immigrants into European society. Strident Islam hardly makes that process easy, as Europe cannot compromise on core values around human rights and gender equality. Those who wish to enjoy the opportunity Europe offers must recognise that, if they are not to be seen as opponents of our way of life.