A Muslim leader in Austria sounded the alarm about the growing influence of some “far-right” political parties, which are waging an onslaught against Islam and Muslims in the country.
Interviewed by Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), Anas Shakfa, chief of an official Islamic organization in Austria, refuted recent allegations claimed by the Freedom Party as “ungrounded and divorced from reality.”
Last week, Freedom party demonstrators protested against what they called the "building of mosques and minarets in Austria".
Shakfa believed that the ongoing campaign against Muslims and religious rituals began in Germany and then moved to Austria through far-right parties. He voiced concern over anti-Muslim statements by some moderate political leaders in Austria, who are on good terms with the Muslim community in the country.
The onslaught against the building of mosques was sparked by Freedom party leader Heinz Christianne Stracher and continued by Alliance for the Future of Austria leader Jurg Haider. It was also joined by Counselor Molterer Wilhem of the conservative Austrian People's Party, a partner in the ruling alliance.
There are some 350,000 Muslims living in Austria, constituting four percent of the country's population of eight million.
Islam has become the second key religion in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
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