13 September 2010 The Federal President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, has told representatives of the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGiÖ), including the president Anas Schakfeh, to try and keep a “cool head” when confronted with Islamophobia. Fischer also stated his support for the democratic procedures of the IGGiÖ, and the he would not interfere….
Official figures, as well as those of the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGiÖ), place the number of Muslims in Austria at 330 000. This number is disputed by those who are not members of the IGGiÖ, such as the liberal Turkish Alevis. The Alevis do not consider themselves to be represented by the current…
The president of the Austrian Islamic Religious Community (IGGiÖ), Anas Schakfeh, has been awarded the gold medal for public service to the federal state of Vienna. Thomas Oliva, chairman of the Vienna Immigration Commission, called Schakfeh a “role model,” while Michael Häupl, mayor of Vienna, thanked him for his help in the smooth cooperation between…
A census of local Muslims in Austria has been initiated by the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGiÖ) as a result of the upcoming elections for the organization. The president of the IGGiÖ, Anas Schakfeh, expects approximately 100,000 Austrian Muslims to register, while estimates of Muslims in Austria range from 400,000 to 500,000. The goal…
Following an agreement reached between the justice minister, Claudia Bandion-Ortner and the president of the Islamic Religious Community, Anas Schakfeh, Muslim chaplains in prisons are to be standardized across the country. At around 1300 Muslim inmates, Islam has come to represent the second largest religion in Austrian penal institutions. Earlier religious services had been the…
