Shafaqna English- With the Freedom Party (FPO), led by Herbert Kickl, at the helm, a new dystopia looms for the Muslim population in Austria. The party is expected to implement even harsher anti-Muslim policies in Austria. Far-right victory is expected to implement harsher anti-Muslim policies
For the first time since the end of the Nazi regime, the leader of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPO) – a political party that was established by ex-Nazis for ex-Nazis, and that has grown to become a major force in Austrian politics since the early 1990s – has the chance to not only join a government as a partner but to lead the government, with its party leader becoming the future chancellor.
Under the previous coalition of the OVP and FPO (2017-2019), Muslims had already become the central scapegoat. New laws and political measures targeting Islam and Muslims surfaced almost monthly.
Mosques were shut down illegally, various hijab bans were imposed, Muslim educational institutions came under scrutiny, and the Documentation Centre for Political Islam was established to monitor Muslim associations, sometimes even leading to legal action against them.
Although courts, including the Constitutional Court, later overturned many of these measures and laws, their societal impact lingered.
A recent study by scholars from the University of Vienna found that 39 percent of respondents believed Christian and Muslim values were incompatible, and 31 percent supported restricting Muslim religious practices.
Source: Middle East Eye