“Integration”, “Intercultural Dialogue”, and the Failure of the Austrian State

Back in April, our Austrian correspondent Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff reported on the appointment of a twenty-four-year-old, Sebastian Kurz, to the important position of assistant to the new interior minister. One of Mr. Kurz’ principal responsibilities is “integration” — that is, the attempt to somehow shoehorn all those Muslim immigrants into Austrian society without violating the strict tenets of Multiculturalism.

Sebastian Kurz is Elisabeth’s former student, so she knows him better than do most Austrians. After Elisabeth’s less-than-flattering piece was published here, some of our commenters cautioned us not to judge the man simply because of his youth, but to wait and see if he could handle the job.

Three months have passed, and there is still no sign that any “integration” — or, God forbid, “assimilation” — is ever going to take place in Modern Multicultural Austria. Our Austrian correspondent Zam sends a translation of the latest news on Sebastian Kurz and the progress of “integration”. The translator includes this explanatory note concerning the proposed forcible mixture of culture-enrichers with indigenous Austrians:

I don’t normally have the patience (and skill) to translate articles from the newspapers in our beloved multiracial Austria, but this one seemed so utterly preposterous that I had to do it. It’s a shortened version of the whole article, but it speaks volumes about the thinking of the newly established State Secretary for Integration in Austria, Sebastian Kurz.

Of course, the “mixture” as proposed in this context means that Turkish families are planted in the midst of the few Austrian ones who still have claims on the public utility, and we all know what the effect will be: bullying and harassment.

His translation from Die Presse:

Integration: Lack of population “intermixture”

Vienna. The less fancy paraphrase is: “formation of ghettoes”. 80% of migrants reside in 10% of Austria’s communes, predominantly in the big cities — mostly in flats owned by the public utility. Endemic difficulties within this are widely known: there is a lack of necessary “intermixture” of the population, finds the expert council on integration. It therefore suggests the establishment of a “committee for housing space” that would look after a balanced allocation.

It is one of twenty suggestions from the report on integration, which was presented on Wednesday by state secretary Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) and the chairman of the expert council on integration, Heinz Fassmann. […]

There’s no timeline yet for the measure, says Kurz. “We will work step by step on the implementation”.

Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff has more to say on the same topic:

Sebastian Kurz, the new star in the current Austrian ruling elite, has been busy listening to everyone on the street and in the NGO world explain their ideas on integration matters. One group he didn’t seek out was the Wiener Akademikerbund — naturally, one might say, since the WAB has the most experience and the best ideas.

So it is not surprising that I, as one of Sebastian’s former teachers, have remained silent and listened and watched Sebastian. The more I watched and listened, the more dismayed I became. And the more I felt like exploding one morning last week when I read about the ideas presented by Sebastian and “integration” experts. My response was to send the new minister an email.

Needless to say, I never received a reply. Why should he reply? It’s not like he cares. His salary will be paid punctually on the first of every month and he will join the chorus of ÖVP politicians lamenting yet another election loss.

Below is the text of her email, as translated by JLH:

From: ESW
Subject: It’s me — your TOEFL teacher
to: staatssekretaer@bmi.gv.at
Date: Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Hello Sebastian:

I promised myself I would not comment on your agenda (except to congratulate you on the advancement of your career — which I can also do with this e-mail), but today’s article in ÖSTERREICH forces me to it. I also realize that my words can influence nothing, because the gap between the government’s agenda and those of us “down below” cannot be bridged. For a long time, I have given you that chance so many want. I have listened to you. In the same way, I studied your interviews, But today’s ÖSTERREICH — or what was in it — was the last straw. I am furious. Why? Here are my reasons:

1.	Punishment for cutting class. Good. Keep it up. I even consider heavy penalties correct. The polytechnic will not prepare our students for life. A certificate or an apprenticeship is the way not to show up in the unemployment statistics (and not weigh on the public purse, i.e. the taxpayers).
2.	Two years of kindergarten — that was the first outrage from my point of view. The thermometer begins to rise. Your reasoning: linguistic proficiency. My friend, the state is not responsible for making sure that children master the German language and certainly the taxpayer is not. The parents are. Who is going to pay for this year? How will it happen that children from German-speaking families will go to kindergarten involuntarily? How does that relate to the parents’ power to decide? Why not start with those who (for whatever reason, although I could mention a few for you) who absolutely forbid their children to learn German? Because that is how it is.
3.	“School for Adults”: Good idea, onward!
4.	No parallel societies: offenses against domestic law! Don’t make me laugh, my dear Sebastian! But it hasn’t been a laughing matter for a long time. In the first place, by saying this, you admit that these parallel societies exist. That wasn’t always true. It was always denied, especially by the Viennese Socialists. Have you asked yourself why there are all these (criminal) offenses? And by whom? Is it all those Filipinos or Chinese? Or maybe the biggest group of immigrants — the Germans? Or the Poles? I don’t think so.
5.	More contact with the (Muslim) associations: All I need is to hear the words “intercultural dialogue”! Please tell me what we will get from something that hasn’t worked for decades. Exchange between immigrants and “old Austrians” in schools and organizations — stop me before I throw up, my dear Sebastian! I want no contact with people whose ideology and faith means having to kill non-Muslims; separating men and women; claiming men and women are not equal; demanding the stoning of women (already accomplished in France). With an ideology which has 200 calls for killing. You know what I mean. Or perhaps not? I’ll be damned if I let the state tell me with whom I have to have regular contact and “exchange.” The same is true for my daughter, for whom I, not the state, am responsible.
6.	No ghettoes: They are already here! And they are not populated by Filipinos and Germans. You know what I mean. Or not?
7.	Imams from Austria: they are trained in Austria. Thank you for the advice, Sebastian and panel of experts. In Austria and at the taxpayers’ expense, they are trained so they can preach “Kill the infidels wherever you find them.” That is one example out of 200! You don’t believe me? Have you read the Koran? No? Not satisfactory — sit down!
8.	Preach in German: see above. Will “Kill the infidels” sound better when preached in German?
9.	More dialogue. That means more tax money squandered. “Dialogue with Islam!” What is there to talk about if Islam only makes demands and calls for the death of the infidels — that is, you and me!

In conclusion, my dear Sebastian, I cannot believe that I have to be so worked up at seven in the morning on a beautiful summer day. How many more millions are we going to throw away on the (non-Filipino, non-German) immigrants? That is my money and my daughter’s money that is being wasted.

Did you read Mein Kampf in school? Yes? Then read the Koran. If you get nothing from my words here and think, this crazy woman (as if I care), at least read the Koran. It will be worth your while. As a taxpayer, I expect that from you.

Good luck,

Your deeply disappointed TOEFL teacher.
Elisabeth

Maria Stückler, a university professor and an anti-jihad activist, was copied on the same email. Her reply provides an additional take on the new minister’s ideas (also translated by JLH):

From: Maria Stückler
Subject: Re: It’s me, Your TOEFL teacher
To: E.S.W.
Date: July 6, 2011

The entire litany reveals a political failure of the first order:

1. Learning German

And that, after a good forty years of immigration (which has not been called that for a long time).

Doesn’t anyone wonder what people are doing in Austria, who aren’t even prepared to learn the language? There are only two answers to that:

To plunder or conquer the natives.

Aside from that, the refusal to learn the language of the country is naked racism — it is clear that they want nothing to do with the local people.

2. Training of imams in Austria and preaching in German

It does not matter whether the imams are trained in Austria or not, whether they preach in German or not. Imams can always and only preach the Koran, it will not change because of these measures. The only result will be heavier costs for us. But to know that, our “representatives” have to read the Koran, and not act like the proverbial three monkeys.

3. Intercultural dialogue

Just the fact that policy required forty years to make these self-evident demands reveals the whole problem with the decades-long dialogue industry.

It is not dialogue we need, but strict demands oriented to the interests of the native population.

And whoever does not fulfill them must be deported.

The prime function of the state is not serving foreigners, but guaranteeing the internal and external security of its own people, who are, nominally anyway, the sovereign power. To this central task of the state, everything else — especially immigration policy — must be subordinated.

With warm greetings,
Stückler