Muslim religious communities oppose Bauer over proposed ban on political Islam

Austria’s 10 Islamic religious communities have turned against remarks by Integration Minister Claudia Bauer after she previously declined to rule out a ban on the Islamic Religious Community in Austria, known as IGGÖ.

The communities, which operate under the umbrella of the IGGÖ, said the organization is a legally recognized religious society and the official representative of Muslims in Austria. They argued that bringing such a body near the prospect of a ban without concrete evidence does not meet the standards of a state governed by the rule of law.

IGGÖ President Ümit Vural is at the center of the dispute. Bauer had earlier not ruled out banning the organization in statements to APA. The article says the possibility is no longer on the table for the integration minister.