Opinion of Austria's new, updated Islam Law ?

[BaconBacon96]

Agree with some of the proposals, although it overall sets a dangerous precedent.

[politicus]

Straightforwardly discriminatory.

That is stating the obvious, but how would you have viewed it if it applied equally to all religious groups? Or - more realistically - to all non-Catholic groups?

[Adam Griffin]

They're not passing this because they actually expect it to be wholly enforced or to prevent "foreign funding" or whatever. They're passing this because in their backward minds, they believe it'll stop dead in its tracks any new flow of Muslim immigration to the country. For what it's worth, they're probably right in their thinking, as there are plenty of backwards-minded people on the other side who would legitimately pick which country they would move to based on whether or not the Saudis could funnel Wahhabist-laced dollars into their mosques.

European countries don't have free immigration from the Middle East. Middle Easterners come to Europe in two ways:

a) being united with family members - in which case you do not normally have a choice of country - or can at least only choose betwen a few countries where you have family members (or other contacts that can arrange a marriage).

b) refugees - where you in principle needs to seek asylum in the first safe country you arrive in - there are ways around this and refugees try to get to countries in Northern Europe with higher living standards and less harsh conditions for asylum seekers before they apply, but it is not exactly a free choice scenario.

So your theory is wrong. Immigration to Austria by Muslims is not based on people rationally choosing Austria as their new homeand. Austrians are not doing this to affect immigration, but to influence the Muslim population in Austria. There is an element of symbolic policy in this: A signal of what the state expects from them as citizens.

Assuming the two types of immigrants you outlined comprise 100% of the people in question, I don't see how what I've said still doesn't apply. If the existing immigrants in the country feel pressured to leave based on the broader law's created climate of hostility (obviously I didn't mean solely the foreign funding as being the motivator; hyperbole), then the influx of new immigrants will practically dry up based on what you've said at the same time that the existing Muslim population declines. Middle East refugees comprise roughly 1% of Austria's population (slightly less than 10% of all Muslims, and that's assuming that all of the refugees are Muslim).

[politicus]

If the existing immigrants in the country feel pressured to leave based on the broader law's created climate of hostility.

That is an unrealistic assumption. These people have ties to their local community and can not just move somewhere else because their Imams have to use German. The most likely is grudging acceptance even from the more critical segments.

The law has been approved by Muslim organizations and will likely improve the image of Muslims in Austria. So the "climate" is unlikely to get more hostile - the opposite would be more likely.

Refugees + family based immigration would be very close to 100%. There are of course a group of experts working for foreign and Austrian companies + international organizations, but this is a very small group. Then there may be some Muslims immigrating from other EU countries, but not many (few would chose Austria over Germay).

[politicus]

Middle East refugees comprise roughly 1% of Austria's population (slightly less than 10% of all Muslims, and that's assuming that all of the refugees are Muslim).

With 7% Muslims in Austria that does not add up.

When figuring in refugees as a source of immigration you need to consider children of refugees (second generation). Refugee families become immigrants over time, and many acquire citizenship, it is hard to trace this effect in statistics.

But obviously family based unification is the big factor, so called chain-migration. Labour migrants from the 60s got their families to the new country and later generations are still marrying people from their parents or grand parents country. Families descended from refugees often do the same.

[Famous Mortimer]

I'd have to read the whole law.

I'm concerned about what "granting state protection to Islamic customs, doctrines and institutions" means.

Ironically, this could end up being a back door to Islamic family courts at some point.

[Хahar 🤔]

Straightforwardly discriminatory.

That is stating the obvious, but how would you have viewed it if it applied equally to all religious groups? Or - more realistically - to all non-Catholic groups?

It would still amount to state control over religion, which I find deeply offensive.