Already punishable here

Anyone calling for a caliphate will be “consistently prosecuted”

(Bild: picturedesk.com/NIBOR/Action Press)

According to experts, protests in which participants demonstrate for the introduction of an Islamic dictatorship ("caliphate") will not take place in Austria. The Ministry of the Interior also points out that this is already a punishable offense in the Republic.

Last week, a demonstration in Hamburg caused a stir. In the northern German city, 1100 participants demonstrated for the introduction of an Islamic-style dictatorship. Experts believe that any registration of such an event with the police would fail immediately in Austria. At best, the organizers could try to disguise the protest motive.

Karner wants to "pursue consistently"
As the Ministry of the Interior emphasized in a press release on Friday, calling for a caliphate is already a punishable offence in Austria. "Should there also be demonstrations in Austria calling for a caliphate, these (...) will be banned," it told krone.at. "Anyone who attacks our basic democratic order in this way will be consistently prosecuted and punished," announced Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).

In the wake of the Vienna terrorist attack, the National Council passed an anti-terror package in 2021. This includes: Criminal offenses for religiously motivated crimes. More effective action can also be taken against religious extremism. There are also plans to improve prevention and deradicalization measures.

Young people in particular, as the protests in Germany show, are being drawn under the spell of Islamists. "These movements are particularly attractive to students who are looking for answers and security in life," explained Islamic scholar Rüdiger Lohlker from the University of Vienna.

Potential also exists in Austria
Many groups "provide simple answers to complicated questions, a clear world view and security". Their modern appearance on social media also makes them more attractive to a young audience. "These people don't come across as stone-age advocates of patriarchy," says Lohlker.

Should the "caliphate protests" nevertheless spill over into Austria, the expert advises the authorities against banning them. "That would only give them a stage," says Lohlker. A ban could also make them more interesting for population groups that have no connection to Islamism so far. The Islamist potential in Vienna is there, they say.