According to experts, there will be no protests in Austria where participants demonstrate for the introduction of an Islamic dictatorship (“caliphate”). The Ministry of the Interior also points out that this is already a criminal offense in the Republic. Participants would be “followed consistently.”
A meeting in Hamburg last week caused a stir. In the northern German city, 1,100 participants demonstrated for the introduction of an Islamic-style dictatorship. Any registration of such an event with the police would immediately fail in Austria, experts say. At most, the organizers could try to disguise the motive of the protest.
Also dangerous in Austria
The Directorate for State Security and Intelligence (DSN) is closely monitoring developments within the Islamist extremist scene in this country. Young men in particular appear as so-called threats; their numbers are in double figures. The scene is currently characterized by people born between 1995 and 2010 who are increasingly emerging as contributors to terrorist online propaganda.
As the Ministry of the Interior emphasized in a press release on Friday, calling for a caliphate is already a criminal offense in Austria. “If there are also demonstrations calling for a caliphate in Austria, these (…) will be banned,” it told crown.at. “Anyone who attacks our fundamental democratic order in this way will be consistently prosecuted and punished,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).
Young people in particular, as the protests in Germany show, are under the spell of Islamists. “These movements are particularly attractive to students who are looking for answers and security in life,” explains Islamic scholar Rüdiger Lohlker of the University of Vienna.
There is also potential in Austria
Many groups “offer simple answers to complex questions, a clear worldview and certainty.” Their modern appearance on social media also makes them more attractive to a young audience. “These people don’t seem like defenders of Stone Age patriarchy,” Lohlker says.
If the ‘caliphate protests’ spread to Austria, the expert advises the authorities not to impose a ban. “You would just give them a platform,” says Lohlker. A ban could also make it more interesting for population groups that previously had no connection with Islamism. It is said that the Islamist potential is present in Vienna.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
