US embassy cable - 05VIENNA1376

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 VIENNA 001376 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, PREL, SOCI, AU 
SUBJECT: Austrian Imams Outline Ambitious Goals at 
Conference 
 
 
THIS MESSAGE IS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
Summary 
------- 
 
1. (U)  Austrian Imams held a conference April 24 in 
Vienna.  The Islamic community's spiritual 
representatives adopted a declaration stressing the 
commitment of Muslims to be an integral part of Austrian 
society, condemning extremism and terrorism, and 
emphasizing the rights of women in Islam.  End Summary. 
 
The Conference 
-------------- 
 
2. (U)  The conference gathered about 160 imams, 
religious teachers and theologians for one day to discuss 
the situation of Muslims in Austria.  The Austrian 
Islamic Community, the official representative of the 
Islamic faith to the Austrian government, organized the 
conference.  The Islamic Community said the attendees 
included various ethnicities and different Islamic 
schools of thought.  Austrian government officials, 
including Member of Parliament Werner Fasslabend, Vienna 
City Councillor for Integration Issues Sonja Wehsely, and 
Florian Haug from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) 
Cultural Section, spoke at the opening of the conference, 
which was otherwise not open to the public.  For 2006, 
the Islamic Community and the MFA are planning an 
international conference as a follow-up to the June 2003 
conference of European imams in Graz. 
 
The Islamic Community in Austria 
-------------------------------- 
 
3. (U)  There are about 339,000 Muslims in Austria, 
representing some 4.2 percent of the population.  The 
highest percentages are in Vienna and in Austria's 
westernmost state, Vorarlberg.  Turkish Muslims form the 
largest single group, with 123,000.  Islam has been one 
of Austria's 13 recognized religions since 1912.  This 
entitles Muslims to religious instruction in schools. 
The Austrian Islamic Community operates a Pedagogic 
Academy to train religion teachers.  The right of Muslim 
women to wear headscarves is uncontested.  Ritual 
slaughtering is legal if performed by trained personnel. 
 
Topics at the Conference - Final Declaration 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
4. (U)  The purpose of the conference was, according to 
the President of the Austrian Islamic Community, Anas 
Schakfeh, to highlight the fact that Muslims in Austria 
are "part of Austrian society and want to live together 
in peace."  The conference's final declaration notes that 
the status of Islam as a recognized religion "promotes a 
dialogue based on equality and a climate of social and 
religious peace".  The document stresses that Muslims 
increasingly suffer from the fact that Islam is 
associated in the public mind with terrorism.  It notes 
that, in reaction, Muslims must focus on mutual respect, 
tolerance and rejection of terrorism.  The declaration, 
which all mosques in Austria are to post, emphasizes the 
necessity to provide equal opportunities for women, in 
particular in view of phenomena such as forced marriage 
and insufficient access of women to education. Twenty- 
five female religous leaders participated at the 
conference. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
5. (SBU)  The conference was an important signal by 
Muslim spiritual leaders for the orientation of Islam in 
Austria: that Muslims are not "a minority in the diaspora 
in Austria," but are a "resident religious community that 
feels at home here."  It is key to note, however, that it 
was the official Islamic organization in the country that 
sponsored the event.  Conference organizers announced at 
the outset that attendees would adopt a statement of 
principles that included a rejection of any form of 
extremism.  Although there are some known proponents of 
radical Islam in Austria, it was clear that they would 
not have a voice at this conference.  The implementation 
of the declaration's ambitious demands will be key. 
Problem areas include political extremism and issues 
relating to women's rights, such as forced marriage.  It 
will also be important, as the conference organizers have 
stressed, that Imams increasingly preach in German, which 
is crucial for the integration of the Muslim community 
into Austrian society. 
BROWN