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The new annual report focuses on the serious impact of 7 October 2023 on Islamist groups.

Hamas' terrorist attack on Israel not only fuelled the Israel-Palestine conflict, but also led to far-reaching conflicts at various levels in Austria. One of the main focuses of the new annual report of the Austrian Fund for the Documentation of Religiously Motivated Political Extremism (Documentation Centre Political Islam) therefore focuses on the events of 7 October 2023 and their aftermath. Following the terrorist attack, problematic developments in European society have become even more apparent. Last year, the fund was able to document a number of cases in which the Middle East conflict was instrumentalised as a vehicle for religiously legitimised extremism. There were also attempts by foreign actors to influence various communities in Germany.

Influence from abroad

Political Islam permeates complex religious structures in Austria with a variety of currents. Third countries, such as Turkey, are increasingly attempting to exert political influence through their own understanding of Islam and to influence the migrant groups concerned. The diaspora is thus seen by some countries as a zone of influence. In this context, social media in particular plays an important role alongside traditional media, which is used, among other things, to circulate Islamist propaganda in a targeted manner.

Following the serious attack by Hamas, narratives of the terrorist organisation and distorted depictions of the events were taken up by activists and disseminated digitally. There was a worrying rise in anti-Semitic incidents worldwide, with the narratives of post-colonial currents or Islamist movements against Israel serving as an accelerant worldwide. Corresponding radical messages from political and religious leaders and organisations have also demonstrably found their way to Austria. In addition to his verbal partisanship in favour of Hamas, the President of the Turkish religious authority spoke of a "dirty and perverse faith" in relation to Judaism, for example.

The spread of Hamas narratives in Austria

"Israel serves as a common enemy for various extremist groups, which is why the Middle East conflict has a high mobilisation potential within Europe. After the massacre of 7 October 2023, it is striking that many actors in political Islam and its environment showed little to no distancing from Hamas and other groups involved. The Islamist and sometimes anti-Semitic narratives of these terrorist organisations are also spreading in Austria," says Lisa Fellhofer, Director of the Austrian Fund for the Documentation of Religiously Motivated Political Extremism.

One example of this is the chairman of the Turkish Federation in Austria (ATF), who openly posted anti-Jewish resentments and conspiracy theories, including an allusion to the ritual murder legend that Jews "suck the blood of non-Jewish nations". The organisation is close to the far-right Grey Wolves from Turkey, whose followers take part in anti-Semitic demonstrations and whose wolf salute at the 2024 European Football Championship recently caused a stir. 

Within the anti-imperialist protest movement in Austria, which is characterised by a broad ideological spectrum, the fusion of Islamist and left-wing extremist content is particularly evident in the Dar al Janub group. News sites and propaganda messages associated with terrorist organisations are shared via the association's channels. At a Dar al Janub event, for example, one speaker described the Hamas massacre on 7 October as an "act of resistance" and "brilliant military action" and predicted that Israel would not get out of this situation alive. Time and again, Hamas is heroised from various sides and Israel is demonised by equating its policies with National Socialism.

Activities of Hizb ut-Tahrir in Austria

One of the Islamist movements with a transnational orientation is Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is active in over 40 countries and sees the re-establishment of an Islamic caliphate as a "panacea". The organisation is banned in some countries. However, the media spokesperson for German-speaking countries regularly published Friday sermons from Austria. Immediately after October 2023, he propagated, among other things, the fight against Israel as an "indispensable Islamic duty". Israel was a "disease" - he named the killing and expulsion of the population of the Jewish state as a "treatment method".

In addition, an increasing number of Islamist influencer groups from Germany have recently caused a stir in the media, which are said to be close to the ideology of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Among other things, they call for a fight against Israel and organise sensational demonstrations, such as in Hamburg, for the establishment of a caliphate in Muslim areas. Their hip and professional appearance explains their great appeal to young people. Young people in German-speaking countries in particular are a key target group on the various social media channels, where some videos with extremist content have already received over a million views.  

"Hipster Salafists" on social media

The new annual report also focusses on various activities of Salafist missionary groups that, like other Islamist movements, are increasingly using social media. In this context, there has been a shift away from the classic Salafist appearance and towards "hipster Salafists", who have a modern outward appearance but follow the same ideology. The scene has undergone a professionalisation - similar to that of identitarian right-wing extremism - and presents itself as more intellectually sophisticated with a contemporary visual language. A "Salafisation" of the Islamist scene can also be observed, which has led to a sharpening of the tone in matters of faith and could potentially jeopardise religious peace in Europe.

Two Salafist organisations, FITRAH and IMAN, are also active in Austria and propagate a backward-looking view of society. The two groups have been proselytising in a subliminal form since 2014 and can serve as an entry programme into a radical milieu. They are linked to transnational networks and prominent Salafists and took the place of the better-known "Read!" movement a few years ago. With regard to gender equality or the treatment of some minorities, intolerant positions are propagated, other religions are belittled and everyday life is subjected to a strict Islamist-oriented set of rules.

Der neue Jahresbericht nimmt auch verschiedene Aktivitäten von salafistischen Missionsgruppen in den Fokus, die wie andere islamistische Bewegungen vermehrt soziale Medien nutzen. Es kam in diesem Zusammenhang zu einem Wandel weg vom klassischen salafistischen Erscheinungsbild und hin zum „Hipster-Salafisten“, die äußerlich modern in Erscheinung treten, jedoch der gleichen Ideologie folgen. Die Szene hat eine Professionalisierung – ähnlich wie im identitären Rechtsextremismus – durchgemacht und gibt sich mit einer zeitgemäßen Bildsprache intellektuell anspruchsvoller. Es lässt sich zudem eine „Salafisierung“ der islamistischen Szene beobachten, die zu einer Verschärfung des Tons in Glaubensfragen geführt hat und potenziell den religiösen Frieden in Europa gefährden kann. 

Mit FITRAH und IMAN sind auch in Österreich zwei salafistische Organisationen aktiv, die ein rückwärtsgewandtes Gesellschaftsbild propagieren. Die beiden Gruppierungen missionieren seit 2014 in unterschwelliger Form und können als Einstiegsprogramm in ein radikales Milieu dienen. Sie stehen in Verbindung mit transnationalen Netzwerken sowie prominenten Salafisten und haben vor einigen Jahren den Platz der bekannteren „Lies!“-Bewegung eingenommen. In Bezug auf Geschlechtergerechtigkeit oder den Umgang mit manchen Minderheiten werden intolerante Positionen propagiert, andere Religionen herabgewürdigt und der Alltag einem strengen islamistisch orientierten Regelwerk unterworfen. Durch moralisierende Leitbilder wird auf die muslimische Community Druck ausgeübt, die Gesellschaft polarisiert und ein Nährboden für extremistische Radikalisierung geschaffen.

Fund as a pioneer in Europe

"With its work, the Documentation Centre shows that there is an increasing need to address the transnational phenomenon of political Islam in Europe and beyond. It is therefore an important goal to further expand exchange and cooperation at this level," concludes DPI Director Fellhofer. The Austrian Fund for the Documentation of Religiously Motivated Political Extremism (Documentation Centre Political Islam), which was founded in July 2020, plays a pioneering role in Europe due to its ongoing research work. Including the new DPI annual report, 26 publications are now available.

Presentation of the DPI annual report on 17 July 2024

DPI-Jahresbericht 2023