After the attack

Tewhid mosque in Vienna dissolved as a house of prayer

The Tewhid Mosque in Meidling was closed after the Islamist terrorist attack in Vienna.

(Bild: APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH)

The controversial Tewhid Mosque in Vienna-Meidling is no longer part of the Islamic Religious Community (IGGÖ). The mosque was closed after the terrorist attack in Vienna in 2020 because the attacker is said to have become radicalized there. One of the reasons for this is that the controversial former imam was still active there.

The decision in December 2023 does not mean that the mosque is closed; this would have to be decided by the association authorities. However, the facility is no longer operated under the umbrella of the IGGÖ and is therefore no longer allowed to call itself a mosque. 

Ex-imam still active
The Tewhid Mosque had not only attracted attention in connection with the Vienna attacker. The 17-year-old who planned an act of terrorism at Vienna Central Station in September and refrained from it at the last minute also frequented the mosque on a weekly basis. It was initially closed after the terrorist attack in Vienna.

However, the association authorities withdrew the closure after no violation of the law could be proven. Following a decision by the IGGÖ's internal court of arbitration, it also regained its legal personality. The authorities had not been able to provide any evidence for their accusations against the mosque, according to the IGGÖ's justification at the time.

Requested measures not implemented
However, a new imam was appointed for the mosque and the IGGÖ also demanded further measures to ensure "transparent organization of the community's work and the handling of extremist tendencies within the community".

However, a "satisfactory implementation" of the agreement had not taken place, the IGGÖ explained its most recent decision. For example, the controversial preacher, whose name also appears in the current terror investigation files surrounding the 17-year-old, is said not to have been away from the mosque, or only for a short time, according to the reports, which also cite security circles and people from the Salafist scene. According to the IGGÖ, he was last active in the mosque as an Arabic teacher.