Integration difficult?

Every second person sees the headscarf as discrimination

For every second person surveyed in Austria, the headscarf is a sign of discrimination (symbolic image).

(Bild: APA/dpa/Andreas Gebert)

Every second person in Austria considers the headscarf to be a symbol of discrimination against Muslim women. This is the result of a survey conducted by Unique Research. More than half (55 percent) also believe that Muslims are more difficult to integrate than other groups.

For example, 62 percent of respondents said that Islam is more prone to violence than other religions. Almost one in two people (48%) said they were afraid of an Islamist terrorist attack, while almost as many were not afraid. 

In addition, two thirds of those surveyed identify discrimination against women in Muslim communities, while half see the headscarf as a symbol of discrimination. However, just over one in four people (27 people) believe that Muslims are discriminated against in Austria. In addition, the majority (52%) believe that the media does not differentiate between Muslims and Islamists.

Government should reduce immigration
Nevertheless, Austrians are critical of Islam. Six out of ten respondents believe that the government should reduce the influx of Muslims. Three quarters advocate stricter controls on mosques.

Unique Research surveyed 800 people online until October.