Austria's Islamic Faith Community will open mosque doors
The Local Austria - [email protected]
Published: 9 Jan, 2017 CET.
Updated: Mon 9 Jan 2017 12:23 CET
Austria's Islamic Faith Community (IGGiÖ) has expressed its objective to show more transparency to the greater Austrian population. In an interview with Kurier, the organization's president, Ibrahim Olgun stated that a portion of the country's 350 prayer spaces will be open to the public during Friday prayers.
This would normally only be on the agenda for the upcoming Day of Open Mosques, however now it will be made a more regular occurrence. IGGiÖ's 28-year old presiding representative also shared his goal to convince Austrian imams to deliver their sermons in German, or to at least have them simultaneously translated.
His aims also include strengthening their youth outreach and education programs. According the statements he made in his interview with Kurier, the organization is currently in the process of creating a rubric for Muslim enterprises, such as kindergartens, to follow. The set of guidelines is said to comply with Vienna's plan for education.
All in all, the Austrian Islamic Faith Community is looking to quell those who have grown suspect or fearful of Islam in the face of Islam-associated terror attacks that have accumulated in recent years. It is his goal to build solidarity against terrorism.
"Terrorists are abusing the religion. We are certain amongst ourselves that there is no justification for such terror, [but] it is outwardly that we must more clearly communicate this. We also expect representatives of other religions to make more nuanced assessments and to avoid simply pigeon-holing Muslims as scapegoats. They shouldn't fall into the trap set by these terrorists, whose goal it is to divide society."
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This would normally only be on the agenda for the upcoming Day of Open Mosques, however now it will be made a more regular occurrence. IGGiÖ's 28-year old presiding representative also shared his goal to convince Austrian imams to deliver their sermons in German, or to at least have them simultaneously translated.
His aims also include strengthening their youth outreach and education programs. According the statements he made in his interview with Kurier, the organization is currently in the process of creating a rubric for Muslim enterprises, such as kindergartens, to follow. The set of guidelines is said to comply with Vienna's plan for education.
All in all, the Austrian Islamic Faith Community is looking to quell those who have grown suspect or fearful of Islam in the face of Islam-associated terror attacks that have accumulated in recent years. It is his goal to build solidarity against terrorism.
"Terrorists are abusing the religion. We are certain amongst ourselves that there is no justification for such terror, [but] it is outwardly that we must more clearly communicate this. We also expect representatives of other religions to make more nuanced assessments and to avoid simply pigeon-holing Muslims as scapegoats. They shouldn't fall into the trap set by these terrorists, whose goal it is to divide society."
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