Muslim Hate in Austria
Homegrown Austrian terrorism - the end of a safe era?
Earthtimes.org
September 13, 2007
Vienna - The arrest of three second-generation Muslim immigrants Wednesday on terrorism charges shattered Austria's image of being a safe haven from global terrorism. The three, two men in their 20s and one woman, are accused of having produced an internet threat video, demanding Austrian and German troops stop engagement in Afghanistan. The three are believed to have links to al-Qaeda.
Austrians felt safe on their proverbial "island of the blessed", when all over Europe concerns over homegrown terrorism mounted. The country prided itself in its historically conciliatory approach and good relations between the faiths.
But was this feeling of safety just an illusion, the policy of cooperation a failure?
Austria's authorities did not regard the country as a prime terrorism target, owing to its neutrality and opposition to the Iraq war. However, in the long term view the number of militants was on the rise, experts said.
Up to now Austria believed its approach of recognition and inclusion of Muslims - despite regular attacks by the country's rightists - would stave off extremism as experienced in other European nations.
The fact however that the suspects appear to be radicalized second-generation immigrants shows parallels to arrests in Britain or Germany.
Austria is home to approximately 339,000 muslims, 4.2 per cent of the population, the Islamic Religious Authority said.
Austria was victim of several terrorist attacks in the 1970s and 80s. The attack on the Vienna-based OPEC headquarters in 1975 was masterminded by terrorist Carlos.
In 1979 a social democrat councillor was murdered by the Abu Nidal terror group. Two were killed in a PLO attack on Vienna airport in 1985.
It is widely believed that Austria's authorities allowed the perpetrators to leave the country in exchange for security guarantees. They inadvertently made Austria into a safe base for militant movements by this tacit agreement, critics said.
How dangerous were these latest Austrian-based alleged terrorists really? Are they al-Qaeda terrorists, or just copycat amateurs, Austrians wonder. Authorities stressed the suspects had "posed no danger" for Austria.
First media reports paint a more differentiated picture: The 22- year-old main suspect headed the German outlet of the "Global Islamist Media Front", a propaganda platform used by al-Qaeda for recruitment. The arrest shut down Bin Laden's voice in Germany, one expert said.
The suspect travelled to Iraq in 2003, and is believed to have trained in terrorist camps in Afghanistan or Pakistan, Austrian media said. According to unconfirmed reports, he may have even been an al- Qaeda sleeper.
Whatever the investigation unearths, Austrians will have to part with the idea that their country can be exempt from terrorism and further question the effectiveness of its policies to prevent radicalization.