ISLAMOPHOBIA REPORT

ISLAMOPHOBIA IN Austria
Poster ‘Islamisation – Not with us’ by the Identitarian
Movement Austria 41
[…]” 39 Frequently, they appear in public
by disturbing open conference debates
by anti-racist NGOs or by putting up
posters in public spaces without permission,
warning of losing the homeland or
against an imagined threat of ‘Islamisation’.
Recently, their leader was given a
podium in a live debate in a programme
40 41
of the Austrian broadcast TV ORF.
When the franchise supermarket
chain SPAR introduced Halal meat, they
had to face a huge wave of protest by
racist people on their Facebook account.
Racist arguments such as “Halal stands
for Islam’s brutality, [...] intolerance towards
believers of other faiths” or “next
time, marriage of kids will be allowed”
were posted. 42 This induced SPAR to openly declare it would remove Halal meat
from its assortment of products. 43 This seemingly ‘counter-cultural fight’ of Islamophobes
was also registered regarding a Christmas calendar from the Chocolate producer
Lindt, who uses seemingly Oriental architectural motifs for over 10 years and
was thus criticised for its attempt of Islamisation. 44
Although PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident)
was also launched in Austria at the beginning of 2015, it never succeeded.
One reason amongst many 45 is the strength of an already existing right-wing party in
parliament. The FPÖ Chairman declared “We are the real PEGIDA”. 46
39. "Österreich-Meine Heimat," Facebook, accessed on 28 January, 2016, https://www.facebook.com/vlogidentitaer/videos/1483749671933941/
40. Peter Temel, "Forum für besonders wütende Bürger," Kurier, 25 November, 2015, accessed on 28 January,
2016, http://kurier.at/meinung/blogs/gespraechsstoff/orf-buergerforum-zum-thema-fluechtlinge-forum-fuer-besonders-wuetende-buerger/166.123.127
41. Photo taken by Mine Atar Yilmaz.
42. Tori Reichel, "Dürfen wir vorstellen: Die Leute, die sich über das Halal-Flisch von Spar aufregen," Vice, 3
December, 2015, accessed on 28 January, 2016, http://www.vice.com/alps/read/halal-fleisch-spar-kommentare-373
43. ”Spar,“ accessed on 28 January, 2016, https://www.spar.at/de_AT/index/Information/kein_fleisch_aus_schaechtungen_bei_spar.html
44. Andre, "Islamischer' Kalender von Lindt erregt die Gemüter," Mimikama, 3 December, 2015, accessed on 28
January, 2016, http://www.mimikama.at/allgemein/islamischer-kalender-von-lindt-erregt-die-gemter/
45. Irmi Wutscher, “Ordentlich in den Sand gesetzt,“ FM4, 3 February, 2015, accessed on 28 January, 2016, http://
fm4.orf.at/stories/1753444/
46. Daniel Steinlechner, "FPÖ Strache: ‚Wir sind die wahre Pegida‘,“ News, 16 January, 2015, accessed on 28 January,
2016, http://www.news.at/a/fpoe-strache-wahre-pegida
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