Both Jewish and Muslim institutions have become the target of vandalism: A flag of the Jewish religious community was taken down over the weekend at the “Campus der Religionen” in Vienna’s Seestadt Aspern. And the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ) complains that there have been more attacks on mosques in recent weeks.
Over the weekend in Seestadt Aspern, three boys broke down a flag of the Jewish faith community and communicated it on a Tiktok video. The “Social Media Team” of the Vienna Police came across the video on social networks. As a result, the responsible police station was informed and an investigation was launched against three unknown perpetrators on suspicion of degrading religious teachings under Article 188 of the Criminal Code and material damage.
“Act of vandalism cannot be tolerated”
Representatives of the eight religious communities involved in the “Campus of Religions” project Tuesday condemned this act of vandalism and criticized all forms of anti-Semitism. “If one religion among us is attacked, they will all be attacked,” reads a joint statement on the Religions Campus website. They also condemn “any form of anti-Semitism – in word or symbolic act”, stand up for each other and “will not be divided by such contempt of a religious tradition”. Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPÖ) also stressed on Twitter: “The act of vandalism is intolerable.” The Viennese ÖVP also stated that there should be no place for anti-Semitism in Vienna.
Multiple threatening and hate messages
The increased attacks on the mosque are “acts of vandalism and property damage, as well as the addition of threatening and hateful messages with deeply racist, hateful content and in some cases also glorification of National Socialist crimes,” the IGGÖ said on Tuesday. Every act was reported. The IGGÖ is using the attacks as an opportunity to resume the tradition of “Day of the Open Mosque” this fall to create opportunities for meetings between interested fellow citizens and Muslim communities.
IGGÖ President Ümit Vural makes clear that mosques are not places for political conflict and propaganda, but rather places for encounters, communal prayer and devotion, and condemns any threat to the coexistence of different cultures and religions: “The interaction with our houses of worship have filled us with worry, fear and resentment.”
Vural called for “a clear commitment from those in political positions to respect the dignity of places of worship in all churches and religious communities in Austria, to ensure the necessary protection and thus that of the constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right to the free exercise of religious exercise.”
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.
