4 days before the early elections, Austrian Parliament approved a last minute motion which advices the government to close down Muslim Turkish foundations while considering Neo-Nazi ones safe.
The resolution was proposed to the Parliament by the anti-immigrant Liste Jetzt party as part of the fight against extremism. Austrian Parliament approved legislation which gave the government the right to close down foundations affiliated with Turkish-Austrian umbrella organization ATIB as well as Vienna Islamic Federation.
Another motion, however, seeking to close down a Neo-Nazi structure called Identification Movement was rejected by the Parliament. Prominent members of minority communities said the Parliament was clearly targeting of Austria’s Muslim and Turkish community.
Liste Jetzt is predicted to be left out of the Parliament on Sunday’s elections and its controversial offer was considered as last move to draw far right votes.
“It doesn’t matter if a populist party brought this xenophobic motion to the Parliament. What matters is it was approved by the support of center parties as well,” said a Turkish-German journalist who asked not to be named.
Turkey’s governing Ak Party deputy Mustafa Yeneroglu whom was raised in Germany also commented about the motion in his personal twitter account. Yeneroglu said the resolution proved that this is beyond far-right populism. Austria now apparently aims exodus of its Muslim population.
Austrian government was forced to call for an early elections back in May following Ibiza Gate scandal which involved the far-right coalition partner of the government, FPÖ. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was voted out of the office and a new care taker government was established.
Diaspora Daily 