After 100 Years, a New Islam Law for Austria: Part 1

Posted on by

The Original Law, and the Proposed New Law

Words cannot express the gratitude the Wiener Akademikerbund (WAB) extends to Rembrandt Clancy and JLH for their tireless and dedicated work in translating this mass of very difficult legal material. The task was truly an epic challenge for both translators, and we congratulate them on a job well done. Vielen Dank!

Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff
Vice Chairman of the Board, WAB

Introduction

The Austrian Law on Islam is unique in all of Europe, perhaps even worldwide: Islam, along with other major religions such as Catholicism, Protestantism, the Jewish faith, Buddhism, and others, is granted a special status within the legal system. Not only that, but the taxpayer also foots the bill for imams, religious education, and other matters. (This also concerns all other legally recognized religions.)

The original law was necessitated by the Austria-Hungary’s annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina at the beginning of the 20th century: the incorporation of Hanafi Muslim soldiers into the Austrian army demanded that the Hanafi school of Islam be legally recognized. Little did the authors of the law know that nine decades later this very law would be the cause of so much discussion.

The main point of discontent has always been the lack of disclosure of the tenets of the faith by the Islamic Faith Community, as demanded from and adhered to by all other faith communities. Thus, official Austria does not know what faithful Muslims believe in. This has resulted in the ridiculous situation that numerous Islam-critics have been convicted for “denigration of religious beliefs of a legally recognized religion” while the state has no idea what these teaching comprise!

The Austrian think tank Wiener Akademikerbund (WAB) has for many years now been very vocal in calling out the ruling elite about the challenges Austrians face with regard to the ongoing Islamization of Austria. The resulting vilification of WAB has not ceased. However, given that Christian Zeitz is the expert on the Law on Islam as well as Islam itself, it was only natural for him to be chosen as an expert witness in the parliamentary constitutional committee discussing the updated Law on Islam.

It was and continues to be our aim and guiding principle — and that of all people critical of Islam — to prevent the propagation of Islam and Sharia law by the law and within the law, i.e. secular law.

Let us back up now and present the original Law on Islam for readers to peruse.

Imperial Gazette — 1912

(Official translation as provided by Language Services and Terminology, Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour-Vienna)

Part II

1. Austria

Imperial Gazette for the Kingdoms and crown-lands represented in the Imperial Council
Year 1912, item LXVI, published and dispatched on this 9th of August, 1912

159

Law dated 15th July, 1912

referring to the recognition of the adherents of Islam according to the Hanafite rite as religious community

In agreement with both chambers of the Imperial Council I herewith order as follows:

ARTICLE 1

The adherents of Islam shall be granted recognition as religious community in the kingdoms and crown-lands represented in the Imperial Council in the meaning of the Constitutional Law of 21st December, 1867, Imperial Gazette No 142, in particular article 15, under the following terms:

Section 1

The external legal conditions of the adherents of Islam shall be regulated on the basis of an autonomous administration, due consideration being given to state supervision by way of ordinances once the foundation and existence of at least one religious community has been achieved. Particular attention shall be paid in this respect to the relations of the religious organisations of the adherents of Islam living within the country with those in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A religious community having been established, the creation of charity foundations for religious purposes of Islam shall be permitted.

Section 2

In agreement with the Minister for Cultural Affairs also religious functionaries from Bosnia and Herzegovina shall be permitted to be appointed to the office of a religious servant.

Section 3

If a disposition of the organiser of a religious service is, in the opinion of the government, contradictory to public considerations, such service may be prohibited.

Section 4

A religious servant found guilty of a criminal offence or punishable act, committed for pecuniary benefits, in violation of morality, or constituting a public nuisance, or whose contact threatens to endanger public order, shall be removed from office.

Section 5

The state authority shall see to it that the religious community of the adherents of Islam, their communities and organs do not exceed their scope of activities, meet the requirements of the law and of the envisaged ordinances on the external legal conditions of this religious community, and enforce the ordinances promulgated on this basis, apply fines tailored to their financial means and other legally admissible coercive measures.

Section 6

The religious community of the adherents of Islam according to the Hanafite rite shall, both as regards the community as such and religious worship and religious servants, enjoy the same legal protection as is granted to other legally recognised religious communities.

The doctrines of Islam, its institutions and customs shall enjoy the same protection too, unless they are in contradiction to state law.

Section 7

As regards marriage of the adherents of Islam and the keeping of the registers of births, marriages, and deaths, the provisions of the Law dated 9th April, 1870, Imperial Gazette No 51, shall remain in force.
Religious obligations in respect of marriage shall not be affected by these provisions.

Section 8

A respective ordinance shall stipulate if and how religious servants of Islam may be employed to assist with the keeping of the registers of births, marriages, and deaths of their fellow believers.

Article II

My Minister for Cultural Affairs and Education, my Minister of the Interior, and my Minister of Justice shall be entrusted with the implementation of this law.

Bad Ischl, on this 16th of July 1912
Francis Joseph, m.p.

And here is the new draft law, as proposed and submitted to Parliament (translated from the German by Rembrandt Clancy):

Draft

Federal Act, Amending the Law on the Recognition of the Followers of Islam as a Religious Society [Religionsgesellschaft]

The National Council has decided:

The Act on the recognition of the adherents to Islam as religious society, RGBl [Imperial Law Gazette] I Nr. 159/1912, last amended by the Federal Ministries Act Amendment 2014, BGBl. [Federal Law Gazette] I Nr. 11/2014 shall be amended as follows:

    Section 1
 
    Legal Status
 
    Corporate Bodies
 
§ 1.   Islamic religious societies in Austria are recognised religious societies in terms of Article 15 of the Basic Law on the General Rights of Nationals. They are corporate bodies.
 
    Autonomy
 
§ 2.   (1)   Islamic societies regulate and administer their internal affairs independently.
    (2)   Islamic religious societies as such, in respect of their religious practice, as well as in relation to their religious office-holders, shall enjoy the same legal protection as other legally constituted religious societies. Their doctrines, institutions [Einrichtungen] and customs shall also enjoy this protection, insofar as they are not in contradiction of legal standards.
    (3)   Religious societies [Religionsgesellschaften], religious communities [Kultusgemeinden] or other subdivisions and their members, by virtue of their duty to adhere to general state regulations, cannot appeal to the regulations internal to the religious society or to doctrine, if the applicable state law respecting each case does not provide for such a possibility.
 
    Acquisition of Legal Personality
 
§ 3.   (1)   Islamic religious societies shall upon application acquire legal personality under this federal Act by ruling of the Federal Chancellor. The time limit shall be suspended, under § 8 VwGVG, from the date of submission of the improved application by the period of a possible supplementation of the application and a possible hearing for the parties, or from the date of invitation to the hearing of the parties, to the receipt of the supplement or the representation, or arrival of the expiry time established for it.
    (2)   The Federal Chancellor pursuant to para. 1 is to make the receipt of applications publicly available on the Internet on a homepage to be established for the section “Office of Religious Affairs” [Kultusamt].
    (3)   Upon the acquisition of the legal personality, a notice of determination is to be issued, which is to contain the names of the Islamic religious societies and, with a general designation, the bodies authorised for external representation.
    (4)   The Chancellor shall combine the dissolving of those associations, whose purpose consists in dissemination of the religious doctrine of the religious society concerned, with the administrative decision under para. 3.
    (5)   If an Islamic religious society, by dissolution of an association which is used for support of the religious confession [religiösen Bekenntnises] concerned, is newly formed; then under tax law, a simple change of legal form and one and the same taxable persons (legal entities) may be assumed.
 
    Preconditions for the Acquisition of Legal Status
 
§ 4.   (1)   For the acquisition of legal personality pursuant to this federal Act, an Islamic religious society requires a secured, permanent existence and the capability of economic self-sufficiency. The secured, permanent existence is given when the applicant is a state-registered religious confessional community [religiöse Bekenntnisgemeinschaft] and the number of members in its charge consists of at least 2 per thousand of the population of Austria according to the last census. The evidence is to be provided by the applicant.
    (2)   Income and assets shall be used solely for religious purposes, to which substantiated benevolent and charitable objectives also count in the setting of the religious objective.
    (3)   There must obtain a positive, basic attitude toward society and state.
    (4)   There must be no unlawful disruption of the relationships with the existing legally recognised churches and religious societies as well as other religious communities.
 
    Denial and Revocation of the Legal Personality
 
§ 5.   (1)   The Federal Chancellor shall deny the acquisition of legal personality if

1.   this is necessary, in regard to the doctrine or its application, for the protection of the interests of public security in a democratic society; for the protection of public order, health and morals; or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others; this obtains in particular upon the incitement to an unlawful act which is liable to penalty, upon an obstruction of the psychological development of adolescents, upon the harming of psychological integrity and upon use of psychotherapeutic methods, especially for the purpose of the transmission of beliefs.
2.   a requirement under § 4 is absent.
3.   The Constitution is not in accordance with § 6.
 
    (2)   The Federal Chancellor shall revoke the recognition of a religious society or the legal personality of a religious community by administrative decision, when

1.   a requirement pursuant to § 4 or § 8 for the acquisition of the legal status no longer exists,
2.   a reason for denying approval in accordance with para 1 exists; provided, despite summons to rectification of the reason for denial, the latter persists.
3.   an unconstitutional act, or act contrary to statute persists despite summons to rectification, or
4.   the duties connected with recognition are not fulfilled, requests for rectification notwithstanding.
 
    (3)   The denial or revocation of the legal status is to be made available on the Internet on a homepage to be established for the section “Office of Religious Affairs Office [Kultusamt]”.
 
    Section 2
 
    Composition and Functions
 
    Constitutions of Islamic Religious Societies
 
§ 6.   (1)   A constitution of an Islamic religious society drawn up within the framework of internal affairs, in order to ensure the effectiveness for the domain of government, shall contain the following information:

1.   Name and abbreviated designation whereby the religious society shall be clearly recognisable and whereby a confusion with other churches or religious societies, associations, bodies or other legal forms is to be precluded;
2.   Domicile of the religious society;
3.   Acquisition and loss of membership;
4.   Rights and duties of members;
5.   Exposition of the doctrine, including a text of the essential sources of the faith (Koran), which reproduces the content in the German language, the which sources of faith must be distinguished pursuant to this federal law from existing, legally recognized religious societies, religious communities or religious societies (sic);
6.   Internal organisation, whereby at a minimum, religious communities shall be provided;
7.   Due consideration of all traditions within the religious society;
8.   Manner of appointment, length of term of office and dismissal of agents;
9.   Manner of providing and supervising religious instruction where participation of the community is provided;
10.   Acquisition of funds, their administration and accounting;
11.   Arbitration of disputes within the religious society;
12.   Production and modification of the constitution.
 
    (2)   Raising of funds for the customary activity carried to satisfy the religious requirements of its members must be accomplished domestically by the religious society, the religious community and/or their members.
 
    Functions of a Religious Society
 
§ 7.   A religious society is responsible especially for
    1.   the representation of the interests of its members, insofar as they extend across the sphere of action of a religious community; it is the social-religious superordinate authority;
    2.   the submission to the Federal Chancellor of the constitution of the religious society and of statutes of the religious communities, their amendments, as well as changes in the composition of the governing body.
 
    Religious Communities [Kultusgemeinden]
 
§ 8.   (1)   Religious communities are components of an Islamic religious society and at the same time independent corporate bodies. They are responsible for satisfying the religious requirements of their members and for the provision of the requisite institutions pertaining thereto.
    (2)   For the fulfillment of the duties mentioned in para. 1, religious communities may found institutions, lead them or declare existing institutions to be those of the religious community. Institutions common to several religious communities may only be founded with full mutual agreement and consent of the religious society.
    (3)   Religious communities may be established only if their existence and capability of economic self-sufficiency are secured.
    (4)   Re-establishment of a religious community requires at least 300 members or 100 members of legal age and a positive prognosis about the future development through the religious society.
    (5)   Every religious community shall furnish a statute to ensure efficaciousness in the realm of government

1.   Name and abbreviated designation of the religious community whereby the religious society must be clearly recognizable and any confusion with other churches or religious societies, organisations, institutions, religious communities or other legal structures precluded,
2.   the domicile of the religious community,
3.   specifications on gain and loss in the membership,
4.   the rights and duties of members,
5.   regulations concerning the internal organization, especially a directory of members and the manner of cooperation in religious instruction,
6.   regulations on the manner of appointment, duration of the term of office and dismissal of organs,
7.   regulations concerning raising of funds, their administration and concerning accounting,
8.   regulations concerning arbitration of disputes within the religious communities, and
9.   regulations concerning generation and amendment of the statute.
 
    (6)   Upon dissolution of a religious community, the last active bodies [Organe] shall, in agreement with the religious society, decide upon the assets.
 
    Section 3
 
    Rights and Obligations of Religious Societies
 
    Law Relating to the Use of Names and Protection of Religious Designations
 
§ 9.   (1)   A religious society shall have the right, to choose a name within the framework of the limits provided in § 6 para. 1, subparagraph. 1.
    (2)   The names of a religious society and their religious communities, as well as all the terms derived therefrom, may be used only with the consent of the religious society or religious community.
    (3)   Designations which are suitable for giving the impression with respect to external third parties that there exists a legal relationship with individual institutions of a religious society, with a religious community or with similar institutions outside of Austria, may be used only with the consent of the religious society.
    (4)   Upon violations of these provisions, the religious society and every concerned religious community, has the right to file an application to the Federal Chancellor for the initiation of a proceeding for the remedy of the unlawful condition, unless provisions under the criminal code are to be applied.
 
    Right of Review
 
§ 10.   (1)   Islamic religious societies are entitled to submit to the legislative and administrative organs at all levels reports, statements, proceedings and suggestions about matters, which pertain to legally recognised churches and religious societies in general, and the Islamic religious societies in particular.
    (2)   Legislative measures, which pertain to external legal relationships of Islamic religious societies, are prior to their submission deemed ordinances prior to enactment, and shall be forwarded to the religious societies granting them a reasonable period within which to make representations.
 
    Right to Religious Support in Specialised Institutions and to Youth Education
 
§ 11.   (1)   In respect of religion, the religious societies have the right to support their members who

1.   are members of the Austrian Armed Forces, or
2.   are in judicial or administrative detention, or
3.   are accommodated in public hospitals, pension institutions or nursing homes.
 
    (2)   For the fulfilment of the matters in para 1, only those persons shall come into consideration who, by virtue of education and their main place of residence in Austria, are professionally and personally qualified. In all confessional matters they are subject to the religious society; in all other matters, they are subordinate to the respective competent management of each institution. The professional competence is deemed to exist only upon evidence of the completion of study in Islamic Theology pursuant to § 15, or an equivalent qualification. The personal competence requires at least three years relevant professional experience and knowledge of the German language at the level of the school-leaving certificate or examination and university entrance qualification. In addition, an authorisation by the competent Islamic religious society is required.
    (3)   The necessary material costs and personnel expenditure for the execution of the procedures under para. 1 subpara. 1 shall be borne by the Federal Government.
    (4)   Islamic religious societies and their members are entitled to direct children and young persons in all traditional customs and to raise them accordingly in the religious precepts.
 
    Dietary Prescriptions
 
§ 12.   (1)   The religious societies have the right in Austria to organise the production of meat products and other food products according to their internal socio-religious prescriptions.
    (2)   On catering to members of the religious societies in the Austrian Federal Army, in prisons, public hospitals, pension institutions, nursing homes or similar institutions, as well as in public schools, attention shall be paid to the internal socio-religious dietary laws.
 
    Holidays
 
§ 13.   (1)   Islamic holidays shall be guaranteed the protection of the state. Their dates are subject to the Islamic calendar. The days begin with the setting of the sun and last until the sunset of the following day.
    (2)   Holidays of the Islamic faith community [Glaubensgemeinschaft] in Austria are

a)   the feast of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr)
b)   Pilgrim Festival of Sacrifice
c)   Ashura.
 
    (3)   Islamic-Alevi holidays are

1.   Days and holidays in memory of the Holy Hizir (Hizir Festival)
2.   Birth of the Holy Ali (Nowruz Festival)
3.   Proclamation of Ali as successor to Mohammed (Gadir Hum)
4.   Festival of Sacrifice (Eid al-Adha/Kurban Bajram)
5.   Ashura (period of mourning and fasting in memory of the martyrdom of the Holy Hussein)
 
    (4)   On the days designated in paragraphs 2 and 3, all preventable noise-arousing actions, including public gatherings, parades and marches, which could have an interfering effect on the celebration, are forbidden in the vicinity of places of worship and other religious communities where there are spaces and buildings serving purposes of worship.
 
    Dismissal of Holders of Office
 
§ 14.   A religious society and the religious communities shall relieve office holders of their functions, including religious office-holders, who have been convicted with a final sentence by an domestic court of one or more premeditated criminal offences, to a term of imprisonment of more than one year, or who by their action permanently endanger the public security, order, health and morals, or the rights and freedoms of others.
 
    Islamic-Theological Studies
 
§ 15.   (1)   From 1 January 2016, the federal government shall maintain for Islamic religious societies, the continued existence of an Islamic theological training, at the University of Vienna, for the scientific education of young people training to be clerics, and for purposes of theological research and doctrine, for which up to six positions for teaching personnel shall be provided. As teaching personnel, university professors as well as associate professors are under consideration within the terms of the collective agreement for employees of the Universities, pursuant to § 108 para. 3 of the Universities Act.
    (2)   Prior to the filling of vacancies pursuant to para. 1, the person being considered shall be brought to the attention of the religious society and shall be granted a period of no less than four weeks within which to submit a representation prior to implementation of the personnel measures.
 
    Islamic Cemeteries
 
§ 16.   (1)   Islamic cemeteries and sections of cemeteries are designed for long-term operation. Their liquidation, closure or the disinterment of individual grave sites shall not be admissible. Exceptions require the consent of the competent religious community.
    (2)   Interments in Islamic cemeteries or sections of cemeteries may be carried out only with the consent of the competent religious community.
 
    Section 4
 
    Cooperation between Religious Societies and the State
 
    Legal Effect of Internal Socio-Religious Decisions
 
§ 17.   (1)   The constitution of a religious society, the statutes of religious communities as well as established rules of procedure, particularly the rules for apportionment of religious expenses and election rules and their amendments, require the approval of the Federal Chancellor to become valid.
    (2)   The organs authorised for external representation pursuant to the constitution and the statutes, as well as the religious officials, shall inform the Federal Chancellor immediately after their election or appointment by the religious society (§ 7 subpara. 2)
    (3)   Amendments to regulations according to para 1 and appointments of bodies authorised for external representation shall only come into effect at the date of confirmation by the Federal Chancellor. The latter shall make them publically accessible from the Internet on a homepage to be established for the section “Office of Religious Affairs” [Kultusamt].
 
    Notification and Reporting Obligations
 
§ 18.   The religious society and the Republic shall have the mutual obligation to inform the other party of all matters which affect this federal Act. This shall apply in particular to the initiation and termination of proceedings, as well as to the imposition of imprisonment for the named category of persons in § 14, as well as to societal-religious appeals against elections in the religious society or in a religious community.
 
    Prohibition of Events
 
§ 19.   The Authority [die Behörde] may prohibit assemblies and events held for religious purposes, if they present an immediate danger for the interests of public safety, order, health, the interests of national security or if they constitute a danger to the rights and freedoms of others.
 
    Elections
 
§ 20.   (1)   In the case wherein organs authorised for external representation or religious officials are elected, the election procedure must be sufficiently defined in their constitution, in their statutes or in their rules for elections in such a way that a verification of the electoral procedure is possible.
    (2)   In the case wherein bodies authorised for external representation or religious officials are elected, every active person eligible to vote, or everyone, who under the terms of the election rules pursuant to para. 1 may be eligible to vote, after exhaustion of the possibilities internal to the religious society, shall be have the right to file an election monitoring grievance to the Federal Chancellor.
    (3)   If a notification concerning a legal remedy internal to the religious society, or a complaint of the grounds of para. 2 is not received within 14 days from the reception of the notice of election, then the Federal Chancellor shall be notified of the election results and shall issue a confirmation of the notice of election.
 
    Appointment of Trustees
 
§ 21.   (1)   If the duration of the term of office of the organs authorised for external representation, or that of a religious community, is exceeded by a minimum of six months; or if for other reasons the said organs and religious community are no longer competent to act, then the Authority shall summon the aforementioned religious community and the religious society to carry out the scheduled elections within a minimum period of one month and not more than six months, or restore the competence to act by other means which are in compliance with their statutes or constitution.
    (2)   If the religious community or the religious society fails to comply with the order and if neither the religious community nor the religious society has filed a motion with the competent court for the appointment of a trustee, then the Federal Chancellor shall file such a motion with the competent court.
 
    Implementation of Governmental Decisions
 
§ 22.   For the implementation of decisions pursuant to this Federal Act the authority may by administrative decision set aside decisions which are unlawful, unconstitutional or contrary to statute; impose pecuniary penalties of an appropriate amount, as well as deploy other statutorily prescribed means.
 
    Section 5
 
    Final Provisions
 
    Existing Religious Societies, Religious Communities, Constitutions and Statutes
 
§ 23.   (1)   The Islamic faith community in Austria, BGBl. [Federal Law Gazette] Nr. 466/1988 and the Islamic Alevi faith community in Austria BGBl. II Nr. 133/2013, and their members, remain unaffected with their own legal personality. They are religious communities under this Federal Act. Within fourteen days after this Federal Act enters into force, notification thereof shall be issued pursuant to § 3 para. 3.
    (2)   Constitutions, statutes as well as elected organs remain in effect. They shall be brought into compliance with the provisions of this Federal Act. The necessary adjustments are to be carried out early enough to be in effect at each of the next scheduled elections.
    (3)   Associations whose purpose consists in the dissemination of the religious doctrine belonging to what constitutes a religious society under this Federal Act, and which exist at the time of this Federal Act coming into force, shall be dissolved by administrative decision of the Federal Minister of the Interior within six months from the coming into force of this federal Act. The provisions of § 3, para. 5 apply to these associations.
 
    Entry into Force and Expiry
 
§ 24.   This Act shall enter into force at the expiry of the day is publication in the Federal Law Gazette.
 
    Implementation Clause
 
§ 25.   Implementation is entrusted to the Federal Chancellor, unless under individual provisions it falls under the material competence of another federal minister.
 

Coming up in Part 2: The critique of the draft law as presented by the Wiener Akademikerbund to Parliament.

8 thoughts on “After 100 Years, a New Islam Law for Austria: Part 1”

  1. and you think that Islam, for whom taquiya is a religious duty, can be trusted to comply with this law? If so, I have some ocean front property in the Mojave Desert I would like to sell to you. Someone has already purchased the Brooklyn Bridge.

  2. Dietary Prescriptions

    § 12. (1) The religious societies have the right in Austria to organise the production of meat products and other food products according to their internal socio-religious prescriptions.
    (2) On catering to members of the religious societies in the Austrian Federal Army, in prisons, public hospitals, pension institutions, nursing homes or similar institutions, as well as in public schools, attention shall be paid to the internal socio-religious dietary laws.

    I have a problem with this:

    What does it mean to “organize” the production of meat products and other food products according to their internal socio-religious prescriptions?

    What, exactly, does that mean?

    Does that mean that these food products MUST BE SOLD in all food outlets? Because that is what seems to be happening in Europe. Should food labeling be employed to notify the consumer that they are buying halal products or, as in the UK, should no food labeling be required?

    I am staunchly against halal slaughter. Given the choice, I would eschew halal meat for its cruelty and also for the muslim racket that it is. Here in the US I am very aware of a new phenomenon known as “pink slime.” That is parts of cattle that used to be used as pet food because it was bacteria ridden that is now sent through an ammonia bath and incorporated into chopped beef for human consumption. This also is not labeled and I resent it. I hope we change our laws in the near future to require labeling of products that contain pink slime.

    Under 2) “attention shall be paid to the internal socio-religious dietary laws.”

    Does this mean that ALL meals in public institutions including the military and public schools adhere to Islamic dietary laws so as to accommodate muslims in any and all public situations?
    “Attention shall be paid” seems rather vague to me and from what I have read of various institutions in the UK, Denmark and Sweden that has been interpreted as demanding muslim dietary guidelines if for no other reason than to stop the onslaught of muslim objection even if a vegetarian meal is offered that muslims don’t think good enough. So, no more pork products in UK schools, no more Danish meatballs or Swedish meatballs and no pork products what so ever in prisons.

    You know, I grew up during the 50’s-70’s in a community that was highly populated with Jews. I do not recall a time that dietary regulations were placed on the community because the Jews demanded it. In fact, over the last 15 years I have thought about the “demands” Jews placed on our community and I cannot think of a single thing other than being let out of work on holy days to arrive at home before sunset.

    We are now faced with demand after demand from the muslim community.
    I would like to suggest that you nail down the dietary guidelines a bit more forcefully to stop the muslim halal madness of Forcing us all to comply…

    1) Demand the labeling of halal slaughtered meat products.
    2) Demand that a vegetarian meal with the same protein count will be supplied in public settings to those that do not wish to consume non-halal products.
    3) Demand that native dishes that contain non-halal products be allowed to be consumed in the same setting as halal compliant meals. (This one actually reminds me of the Peanuts cartoon strip where Snoopy gives Lucy a lick/kiss and she screams out “My lips touched dog lips!”)

    Just as an aside, the Koran teaches that when halal products are not available non-halal products are admissible. So, this whole argument is not about starvation of religious fanatics. The entire discussion is about control.

    This is a really good place to start stopping the control. Who would object to labeling halal meat? Who would object to offering an alternative vegetarian meal? Only a non-compromising muslim religious control freak would object to this in an historically Christian nation with its own historic guidelines and native foods.

    • Well the supermarkets seem to object to the labelling of halal meat. The EU, and the UK Parliament, also seem to object since they have repeatedly rejected calls from consumers to do so.

    • Your dietary suggestions are both logical and decent, Babs. But this is not a decent and logical era any more than Europe was in 1938. They are trying to force their diets AND their God-Forsaken religion down our throat, and the sooner we understand this, the better the chance we have to survive. As far as I’m concerned they can make do with the discharge from my posterior rectal opening until they have to crawl back to the burning hell that they’ve made for themselves over the last fourteen centuries. (There is a decent,God fearing society living next door to them, but I doubt that they have the brains to learn anything from it.)

    • I am told that all New Zealand lamb, including the exported kind, is halal slaughtered. We do not buy NZ lamb anymore because of that.

      Fortunately, local farms supply fresh lamb, to the near by Whole Foods every Wednesday. A great find for me: I’m supposed to eat organ meats but only organic. Industrial meat has too many additives. Finally I can now get lamb offal – kidneys and liver – if I call ahead and reserve it.

  4. Wow, what a chore it must have been to read, much less translate, all this legal verbiage.

    ” (2) The Federal Chancellor pursuant to para. 1 is to make the receipt of applications publically available on the Internet on a homepage to be established for the section “Office of Religious Affairs” [Kultusamt].”

    Here, “publically” should be “publicly”, which is one of the rare adverbs in English that ends in “-icly” (another one is “(im)politicly”). But more startling is the appearance of the word “homepage” in a law. This assumes the constant availability of, and availing oneself of, electricity, with no provision for a religion’s legal obligations after a Sun- or man-caused
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse
    that brings our planet back to the pre-electricity era, as happened in the
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859 .
    So does Austrian law prohibit government support for a sect of Old Order Mennonites who eschew electricity and, a fortiori, Internet communication?

  5. Seems to me that the following sections fairly well eliminates the need for all the rest…

    “Preconditions for the Acquisition of Legal Status
    &
    Denial and Revocation of the Legal Personality

    should the Austrian government actually become fully acquainted with the doctrine of Islam. Once accurately familiar with Islamic doctrine, there will no longer be a desire or will to invite, no less permit the existence of Islamic entities on Austrian soil.

Comments are closed.