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Austria set to shut down 7 mosques, could expel dozens of imams

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Austria set to shut down 7 mosques, could expel dozens of imams

As part of its moves to crackdown on ‘political Islam’, the government of Austria is set to shut down seven mosques and may also expel dozens of imams.

According to Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz while addressing a press conference, the government is moving to shut down a Turkish mosque and dissolving a group called the Arab Religious Community, which runs six mosques.

“Parallel societies, political Islam and tendencies toward radicalisation have no place in our country,” Kurz said.

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Culture Minister Gernot Blumel said the Turkish mosque was shut down because of suspected right-wing “extremism” and because the Austrian Islamic Faith Community had not licensed it.

Reports say Austria is home to an estimated 600,000 Muslims, mostly of Turkish origin who have already labeled the move as ‘anti-Islam’ and ‘racist.

 

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