"Good homeland"

Islamic parties on the rise across Europe

In Germany, there are public demonstrations for the caliphate.

(Bild: APA/DPA/Axel Heimken)

In Austria, an Islamic party has been founded for the first time with the aim of entering the National Council. It is called IPÖ and is based in Vienna. Islamic parties are on the rise throughout Europe. Islamic scholar Ednan Aslan sees this as a threat to democracy and European values.

In these parties, religion is the core of the programme and the decisive mobilization factor. This should be seen as an alarm signal, says Aslan to "Krone". Islamic parties often appear under the guise of democracy or human rights, such as the Dutch party "Denk" or in Germany "Dava" and "BIG", but they represent undemocratic values such as restrictions on freedom and the oppression of women.

Islamic parties are therefore "a danger for Europe". According to the professor, Islamist individuals in established parties such as the SPÖ, the Greens or the German SPD, who often receive a lot of preferential votes in election campaigns, are also a cause for concern in politics.

In Germany, there are public demonstrations for the caliphate.

(Bild: APA/DPA/Axel Heimken)

Restrictions on freedom and headscarf restrictions as a program
"If political Islam is a danger for countries like Egypt, Jordan or Turkey, then it is also a danger for Europe," says Aslan in an interview with Jana Pasching for krone.tv (video above). Islamist organizations aim to establish an Islamic state and a Sharia-oriented society, including restrictions on freedom, headscarf restrictions and medieval punitive measures.

Iran, Afghanistan, Sudan and parts of Turkey have shown the results of political Islam: people are suffering and fleeing because of these conditions.

Aslan speaks plainly at krone.tv.

(Bild: krone.tv)

Austria is a "good home" for political Islam
The basis of political Islam is a pronounced hostility towards the West. Europe as we know it cannot exist together with political Islam. It is therefore important to recognize and combat this danger.

However, Europe is not able to defend its values with confidence. Islam perceives this as a weakness.

Islamic organizations are well networked
Aslan warns: Austria is a "good home" for political Islam due to its freedoms and the recognition of Islam as a religion. Many activists are fleeing to Austria. However, Islamic organizations are well networked and maintain close cooperation across continental borders. These structures are becoming increasingly professionalized.

Islamic parties in Europe

• FREE PALESTINE PARTY (Europe)

As a result of the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, the "Free Palestine" movement has formed in Europe, which campaigns for the EU to take action against Israel. The movement began in France and has spread to Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Greece.

• THE MUSLIM VOTUM (Great Britain)

In the upcoming general election in the UK, there is an initiative to push Muslim candidates. "We are a strong, united force of four million people acting together. We are focusing on seats where the Muslim vote can influence the outcome. We are here for the long term. In 2024, we will lay the foundation for the political future of our community," is the motto. Their central goal is also a pro-Palestinian policy.

• NIDA (Netherlands)

NIDA, which means "call" in Dutch, is a Dutch party that feels "inspired by Islam". The party has a number of city councillors in Rotterdam and The Hague and is mainly active in local politics.

• ISLAM DEMOCRATS (Netherlands)

The ID was founded in The Hague in 2006 and has been represented there with two seats on the city council since 2014. When they ran in the 2006 parliamentary elections, they failed to enter the Dutch lower house.

• DENK (Netherlands)

This party, founded by migrants of Turkish origin who split from the Social Democrats, is represented in the Dutch parliament. It is said to be close to the Turkish ruling party AKP and Turkish President Erdogan.

• ISLAM (Belgium)

The party was founded in 2012 and aims to establish an Islamic state including Sharia law. "Separate men and women on the bus, halal food in the school canteen and electoral lists with as few women as possible" is what Redouane Ahrouch, co-founder of the party, preaches. He wants a "100 percent pure Islamic state as in the time of our dear Prophet Mohammed". ISLAM's greatest success came in the 2012 local elections in Brussels. It won one seat each in the Anderlecht and Molenbeek districts of the city, both of which were lost again in 2018.

• Millî Görüş (Europe, especially Germany)

Millî Görüş is an Islamist movement with origins in Turkey. It is active in several Central European countries, including Austria, Switzerland and, above all, Germany. The associations - mosques, women's, youth and student associations - largely organized in the Islamic community Millî Görüş form the basis of the organization. They have a significant influence on the Muslim population in Europe.

• DAVA (Germany)

DAVA caused debate in Germany in the run-up to the EU elections. Islam is described as an integral part of Germany. "Obstacles that make Islamic life more difficult should be identified and removed". The party wants to "promote a realistic and more positive image of Islam" by influencing schools, the media and public administrations. Inappropriate portrayals of Islam and Muslims in school and history textbooks should be corrected and replaced with correct information, and laws against Islamophobia should be tightened. There is no clear demarcation from political Islam and militant Islamism.

• UDMF (France)

UDMF is the best-known member of the new European party "Free Palestine". The UDMF is not the first attempt at an Islamic party in France. An earlier "Party des musulmans de France" (PMF) received just under one percent of the vote in the 2007 parliamentary elections.

No longer active:

• List for our Lower Austria (Austria)

The LNÖ stood in the Lower Austrian state elections in 2008. All twelve candidates had a Turkish migration background. The goal of entering the state parliament was clearly missed with 0.22 percent of the votes. The list primarily campaigned for an adjustment of migration policy. The top candidate, Seyfi Öztürk, also spoke out in favor of building mosques in Lower Austria.

• Muslim Democratic Union (Germany)

In Germany, the MDU existed from 2010 to 2014 as a political platform for Muslim citizens. It was mainly active in Lower Saxony and was classified as extremist and Salafist by the Office for the Protection of the Constitution in 2012.

• Islamic Party of Britain (Great Britain)

The Islamic Party of Britain was active from 1989 to 2006. The party campaigned for the introduction of Islamic values into British politics, including social justice, peacebuilding and moral leadership. It had limited political success and contested elections only sporadically.

Do not dismiss critics as racists
According to Aslan, bans are not effective in the context of political Islam, as one party replaces the next. It is more important to make problems visible. Domestic politics, however, does not recognize the dangers of political Islam. It is always possible to fight right-wing parties, but fascist forms of Islam are not recognized.

The population is alarmed due to personal experiences, for example on the streetcar or in certain parts of the city. However, these perceptions are devalued by society. People are labeled as racists or Islamophobic and lose the courage to talk about these incidents.