Islam in Austria

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Islam is the third largest religion in Austria with 4.22 % of the population in the 2001 census, after the Catholic Church and the Protestants. Most Muslims came to Austria after 1960 as "guestworkers" from Turkey, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia. There are also communities of Arab and Pakistani origin.

The westernmost Bundesland Vorarlberg with its industrial small towns and villages has the highest share of Muslims in the country with 8.36 % (it resembles the neighboring north-eastern parts of Switzerland in this respect). It is followed by the capital Vienna with 7.82 %. The central Bundesländer Salzburg, Upper Austria, Tyrol and Lower Austria follow with the share of Muslim population at around the average. South-eastern states of Styria, Carinthia as well as Burgenland in the east have fewer Muslims whose numbers are below the national average.

Austria is unique among Western European countries insofar as it has granted muslims the status of a recognized religious community. This dates back to the times following Austria-Hungary's annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1878. Austria has regulated the religious freedoms of the Muslim community with the so called "Anerkennungsgesetz" ("Act of Recognition"). This law was reactivated in 1979 when the Community of Muslim believers in Austria (Islamische Glaubensgemeinschaft in Österreich) was founded. This organization is entitled to give lessons of religious education in state schools. It is also allowed to collect "church tax" but so far it has not excercised this privilege.

Parallel structures exist within the Islamic religious group in Austria. The religious life takes place in mosques belonging to organisation which represent one of the currents of Turkish, Bosnian and Arab Muslims. Among the Turkish organisations the "Federation of Turkish-Islamic Associations" is controlled by the Directorate for Religious Affairs, whereas the other groups, such as the Süleymancıs and Milli Görüş, may be considered as branches of the pan-European organisation centered in Germany.

The Alevis who are considered non-orthodox, if not non-Muslim, by many Sunnis, and who make up a considerable minority among the Turks, do not take part in the activities of the community of the Islamic believers (Islamische Glaubensgemeinschaft).

[edit] Muslims in Austria according to their etnicity

• Turks (97,346)
• Bosniaks (95,007)
• Kurds (26,770)
• Arabs, Others (6,577)
• Arabs, Egyptian (5,547)
• Persians (5,002)
• Serbs (3,045)
• Indo-Pakistanis (609)

Source:- http://www.worldchristiandatabase.org

[edit] External links

• Islamische Glaubensgemeinschaft in Österreich
• Al-Asr.net Austrian Islamic newsportal
• Muslim Teachers Association
• Links: Islam in Western Europe: Austria
• A Muslim Demograph

[edit] See also