Islam in Austria

Introduction

Many historical factors have helped shape the size, membership and situation of the Muslim community in modern Austria. Among them are the influence of Islam in the Balkans under the Ottoman Empire, the role of the Vienna-based Habsburg Empire in replacing Ottoman political hegemony in the 19th century, the migrations of Muslim peoples during both Ottoman and Habsburg rule, and the flood of political and economic refugees from Turkey and the Balkans into Austria during the last 40 years. The result of these factors is an Islamic community with deep roots in Viennese and Austrian society. Enjoying a legal status equal to that of other state-- recognized religions, it has changed in ethnic composition and grown rapidly in the last 30 years. These changes have greatly increased the economic strength and visibility of Muslims, while at the same time creating great tension within an Austrian society which until recently was religiously and linguistically homogeneous.

Early Associations of Islam with Austria

Modern Austria is the old center of the Habsburg Empire, shorn of Hungary, Bohemia, Slovakia, Slovenia and its Balkans possessions after World War I. Yet, its social landscape still reflects the imperial period, particularly in the ethnic and religious diversity of Vienna.

Austria had its beginnings in the loth century when a German family, the Babenburgs, were given the task of consolidating the victory of the German king Otto over the Magyars in the Danube basin of modern day Austria and Hungary. Over 270 years later, the Babenburgs moved down the Danube River and secured borders north into Bohemian territories, east as far as the March and Leitha Rivers (near the current border with Hungary), and south into Syria. After a brief period of Bohemian rule, this territory fell into the hands of Rudolph Habsburg in 1276. Over the next 200 years, the Habsburgs extended their territories to the south, then through a series of marriages came into control of both Bohemia and Hungary at just the time when Ottoman forces were sweeping westward. In addition to this direct contact with Islam, the Habsburgs claimed lands long inhabited by Muslims.I

Muslims had been part of the social landscape of the Danube River valley since the 9th century, when they began moving through the river...