Austrian Muslims Want Sharia

Our Austrian correspondent ESW has compiled a progress report on the integration — or lack thereof — of Turkish immigrants into Austrian society.


Surprise, surprise! Muslims in Austria want Sharia
by ESW

Migrants have been at the center of media interest for the past couple of weeks. Hardly a day goes by without the gleeful introduction of integration schemes such as this one in The Austrian Times, or this one in Die Presse.

The latter article clearly shows that no matter what the majority society does, the (Turkish-Muslim) minority will always be or feel disadvantaged: “Migrants disadvantaged despite education.”

A few excerpts:

Young migrants have a tough time in the labor market. Young migrants trying to find a job are especially disadvantaged. Sixteen percent of the 20 to 29-year-olds of the second generation of migrants have neither a job nor are they attending school or doing an apprenticeship. This was published in an OECD study (Organization or Economic Development and Cooperation). […]

1.		Why are young migrants more often without a job than their indigenous counterparts?
		The main reason is the lower education level. Another reason is that women have their children sooner than non-immigrants. But that doesn’t explain everything: here in Austria, highly qualified migrants have fewer opportunities in the labor market.
		[…]
2.		So a good education is not useful to migrants after all?
		Yes, it is helpful. The higher the education level, the higher the chances on labor market. […] OECD experts see the following to be the reason for the labor market’s expectations: Migrants in Austria are faced with the stigma of being less qualified, even if this is not true.
3.		Why is it so hard for migrants to get rid of this stigma?
		There is a lack of networks. “Migrants usually remain in their own networks, and this prevents them from getting better jobs than their parents,” says Norbert Hofer, an expert of HIS (Institute for Higher Studies).
		[…]
4.		Do Turks have more problems finding a job?
		Yes, especially those of the second generation. The employment rate of men under the age of 34 with Turkish parents is twenty percentage points lower than that of the local population; that of women is 35 percentage points lower. The rate is somewhat lower — eleven percentage points — for those not born in Austria. Nevertheless, it is still much higher than that of other migrant groups.
5.		Why is the situation so much harder for the second generation ?
		Their parents came to Austria to work as skilled workers. The second generation doesn’t have any qualification, and unskilled workers are no longer needed in the job market. Unlike their parents, they speak neither German nor their mother tongue very well. And, according to OECD, they achieve lower results in school than those who were born outside of Austria. In addition, there are not enough “role models”, successful migrants who are present in the public sphere.
6.		What can politicians do to make better integration possible?
		There are many proposals from experts. One example calls for children to be integrated early, as soon as they enter kindergarten. In the future, immigrants should be chosen not according to family relationships, but according to their job qualifications.

[…]

Now for the umpteenth study on integration of Turks (i.e. Muslims) in Austria. Unfortunately for the politicians, no matter how many empirical studies they commission, the results are always the same: “Migrants in most cases integrate well in Austria. The Turks are the exception.”

From Kurier:
- - - - - - - - -

They feel disadvantaged. The laws of Islam are more important than those of the state. They have little contact with the majority society. And they only watch Turkish TV or read Turkish newspapers.

People of Turkish background have more problems integrating into Austria than those of other migration backgrounds. This is the result of a study by GfK (an institute specializing in empirical studies) commissioned by the Austrian ministry of interior.

“The majority of migrants in Austria believe they are well-integrated and are ready to live by the rules. However, in the Turkish community there are a number of those who are considerably reserved,” explains Peter Ulram, the study’s author. This is especially the case with the 58 percent of Turks who are politically and religiously motivated. There are “the beginnings of a subculture”, particularly among the youth, analyzes Ulram.

More than half of the Turkish migrants long for the incorporation of Islamic law into Austrian law. For three-quarters the adherence to religious tenets is more important than democracy. More than half agree with the following: “We can see from all the criminal activity in Austria where democracy leads.”

Young Turks feel more committed to Islam than older ones, even though most of them — the younger generation — grew up in Austria. The Turkish Muslims are far more religious than those who immigrated from Bosnia.

More than half of all Turks feel discriminated against by the Austrian state. “This is an alarming signal because it causes distance,” says Ulram. One explanation for this, according to Ulram, might be the “lack of migrants in public administration. There are no contact persons for them.”

Ulram sees religion as only part of the problem. Only those who are less educated — and housewives — sympathize with Islam. “We have to start educating them and bringing them into the majority society. Austrians are unwilling to approach these people,” says Ulram.

[…]

Nearly two thirds of all migrants do not want further immigration into Austria. One reason is that the migrants fear that newcomers will vie for their jobs.

More than two thirds of all immigrants are in agreement with the values and the goals of Austrian society. And the numbers are the same in the majority society, adds Ulram.

According to another article in Kurier (October 27, 2009 issue, page 3, unavailable online) the minister of the interior, Maria Fekter, immediately reacted to the study:

Fekter: Migrants must take an oath of allegiance to the flag

Minister of Interior Maria Fekter, detects “serious problems” with regard to the integration of migrants. […] Fekter wants to fight “fundamentalist tendencies” that have revealed themselves in the past years. “Now we are calling a spade a spade and now we are countering them [the tendencies].”

Whoever wants to live in Austria must accept the rule of law and our values, “and sharia is not our legal system,” says Fekter. According to the study, more than half of Turkish migrants consider religious laws to be superior to those of the state.

FPÖ and BZÖ consider the study an “alarm signal”. The German-Turkish integration expert, Kenan Güngör, who advises several Austria state governments, does not agree. “This assertion means that for some the religious tenet of praying five times a day is more important than the law against crossing the street if there is a red light.” Güngör believes that in most cases the religious beliefs of those polled are compatible with those of the state. He is angry about the integration debate in Austria. “Unfortunately, we interpret these studies incorrectly.”

Another result of the study showed a lower level of integration for migrants with low education. Fekter wants to address this by revoking all family assistance payments to those under 18 who do not attend school or work as an apprentice. This should help migrants establish themselves in the labor market. […]

In order to bond immigrants to Austria, the minister of interior also has another idea: if someone is due to receive Austrian citizenship, he or she should take an “oath of allegiance to our flag”. This ceremony should symbolize the creation of identity measures.

Nice try, Mrs. Fekter, but too little, too late. And the oath of allegiance to the flag will be a sham because of the doctrine of taqiyya. It is no secret that Muslim conscripts routinely face away from the Austrian flag during salutes.