The Turkish Mentality in Austria

This is a different treatment of the recent survey of Turks in Austria, with some extras from the perspective of a Bavarian paper, The Bavarian Courier. Many thanks to JLH for the translation:

Islam More Important Than Democracy
by Detlef Kleinert

Unsettling Study: Integration in Austria — Many ethnic Turkish immigrants want archaic, Islamic sharia law

Vienna: In our neighbor land of Austria, too, integration of Turkish immigrants is proving difficult. A new unsettling study verifies that more than half of Austrian Turks want introduction of the cruel sharia law.

When the subject of integration is discussed in Austria, Turkish immigrants frequently see themselves as victims. “Racism manifests itself from day to day,” quotes the Viennese daily newspaper Die Presse, nowadays a self-appointed expert on immigration. The question of whether the majority society can expect immigrants to learn the language and to — if not wholly take on — at least accept the constitution and the culture, is of no real interest to many Turks in Austria. It is enough for them to have a stereotyped enemy on whom they can offload all shortcomings.

A study by the Gfk Austria (offshoot of the Society for Consumption Research based in Nuremberg) authorized by the Austrian interior ministry and recently published — “Integration in Austria” — confirms the extent to which Turkish immigrants are different from immigrants from other countries. More than half of the approximately 220,000 ethnic Turkish immigrants — 2.65% of the entire Austrian population of 8.3 million — in all seriousness demand that the Austrian justice system introduce Islamic law, i.e., sharia. For almost three-quarters (72%), following religious commandments is more important than democracy. For 57%, religious laws and regulations are more important than Austria’s. And almost half of the Turkish immigrants believe the many criminals in Austria show where democracy leads.

The study also shows: Young Turks develop a strong attachment to the subculture; they feel more strongly tied to Islam than to the society in which they live. And that is true even though in most cases they have been born and have grown up in Austria. 45% of the Turks confess to lacking sympathetic understanding of Austrian society, its lifestyle and dominant values. And about half of the ethnic Turkish population feel more bound to their old homeland than to Austria. 55% refuse a non-Turkish marriage partner for their son or daughter.

Especially interesting — and contradicting the complaints of the Turkish speakers — is the fact that other immigrants (1.4 million foreigners live in Austria) have far fewer problems with integration. While the Turks feel themselves to be only 26% integrated, with Poles for example, it is 53%. This may have something to do with chosen media. 76% of Turks watch Turkish TV daily and only 30% click on ORF (Austrian Broadcasting).

The attitude of many Turks aside, this study shows a very positive picture of integration in Austria. The great majority of immigrants feel that they are integrated; more than three-quarters consider it “very important” for immigrants to be committed to learn German. Once again, it is shown to be superficial to talk about “foreigners” in connection with integration. In reality, there is no “foreigner problem” in Austria, definitely though. a problem with Turkish immigrants.

This picture of Turkish mentality can be completed by another survey carried out with the support of the EU. It concerned a Jewish community, not in Austria but in Turkey. According to it, four of ten Turks refuse to live near a Jew; about a third don’t want a Christian neighbor. More than half the Muslim Turks completely reject non-Muslims being active in the Turkish justice system, in the army, in the police or in the secret service. And more than 40% spoke out against Jews or Christians having important positions in science or the health services.

That is not all: 57% of Turks do not want an atheist as a neighbor, 20% reject a foreigner as a neighbor. Even Vice President Bülent Arinc called this survey result shocking; not far from his mind was the hoped-for entry to the EU. From Premier Erdogan — often identified as “moderate” — no such thing was to be heard.