Shafaqna English–Austria records the highest level of Anti-Muslim racism, according to a new report by the Documentation and Counselling Centre for Anti-Muslim Racism (Documentation Centre Austria).
According to the 11th Anti-Muslim Racism Report presented on Thursday, 1,684 incidents were recorded—the highest number since the center was founded in 2014.
These include a murder case suspected to be anti-Muslim in nature, which the Documentation Centre Austria does not elaborate on in its report.
According to the organization, experts estimate that the actual number of unreported cases of anti-Muslim racism is significantly higher.
The report sees a connection to political debates, particularly surrounding the so-called “zero-tolerance” policy of the ruling Austrian People’s Party (OVP), as well as the discussion and passage of a headscarf ban for girls under the age of 14.
Under the slogan “zero tolerance,” the Austrian federal government—and the OVP in particular—pursues a hardline political stance that focuses primarily on migration, security, and the fight against extremism.
Eighty-seven percent of religion-related discrimination cases reported to the Office of the Commissioner for Equal Treatment involve Muslims or people perceived as Muslim, 90 percent of whom are women.
Source: IQNA