IGGÖ President Vural Makes Clear Position Against Extremism
In a powerful speech, Ümit Vural, President of the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ), called for a joint effort to combat extremism and strengthen social cohesion. In view of the increasing challenges posed by terrorist attacks, geopolitical conflicts and heated security debates in the run-up to the upcoming elections, Vural emphasized the responsibility and long-standing role of the IGGÖ as a state-recognized religious community in Austria.
The IGGÖ President appealed to “stand together in these difficult times and resolutely oppose the forces that are trying to divide society”. / Picture: © IGGÖ / Taha Babadostu
“It is undeniable that we always firmly reject any form of violence and in particular condemn crimes committed in the name of our religion with the utmost clarity,” explained Vural. He pointed out that Muslim communities have repeatedly distanced themselves from these acts and emphasized the growing exhaustion of having to do so again and again.
The IGGÖ has been taking decisive action against extremism for a long time. Its preventative measures include the work of the contact point for the prevention of extremism and deradicalization, Islamic religious education in schools, and the promotion of interfaith dialogue. In addition, targeted reforms in mosque teaching and in the training of imams are being implemented to ensure that modern and integration-promoting content is taught.
The IGGÖ sees the spread of extremist content via social media as one of the biggest challenges. “Despite the difficulty of countering this professional machinery, the IGGÖ is working on developing new strategies and expanding its online offerings to effectively counter this threat,” says Vural.
New measures for contemporary mosque education
In parallel to the IGGÖ's efforts, Integration Minister Susanne Raab and Upper Austrian Integration Provincial Councillor Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer have launched the “Mosque Teaching 2.0” project. This project aims to adapt mosque education in Austria more closely to the reality of life in Austrian society and to prevent religious parallel societies. The need for these measures was underpinned by a study conducted by the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF), which revealed clear shortcomings in the current teaching material. It was criticized that the teaching content bears little relation to the reality of life in Austria.
Under the scientific direction of Innsbruck University Professor Zekirija Sejdini, new teaching material is now being developed that will be offered in German and will be more strongly oriented towards Austrian values such as democracy and equal rights. The project places particular emphasis on integration and the promotion of context-related, practical teaching for children and young people in mosques.
A common approach for an inclusive society
IGGÖ President Vural concluded his speech with an urgent appeal to society as a whole: “Social challenges can only be overcome comprehensively through a society-wide approach.” He called on politicians, educational institutions, religions, and civil society to work together to counter the forces that are trying to divide society.
The cooperation between the IGGÖ and state institutions such as the Ministry of Integration shows that it is possible to counter extremism through dialog-oriented and preventative measures and at the same time promote the integration of Muslims into Austrian society. The “Mosque Lessons 2.0” project represents an important step towards guaranteeing contemporary religious education that promotes integration and helps children and young people develop their religious identity in harmony with the realities of life in Austria.