Austria’s government has unveiled plans to introduce a constitutional law banning “political Islam,” a move that could see groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood prohibited from operating in the country, according to statements made to Vienna’s Heute newspaper.
Chancellor Christian Stocker told the outlet that the government intends to codify the ban at the constitutional level, warning that “if religion is used politically, we must oppose it with all severity.” He also took to social media to emphasize the stakes, writing, “Let me be clear: I do not want our children and grandchildren to grow up in an Islamic State.”
Stocker framed the proposal as a defense of Austria’s democratic order and religious freedom, arguing that the right to belief has limits. “In Austria, everyone can believe what they want,” he said. “This freedom of faith is protected by our constitution. But where believers and non-believers are distinguished, where men and women are not equal, where our institutions, authorities and courts are not respected, that freedom ends. Just as we protect the practice of religion, we must protect our democracy.”
Integration Minister Claudia Bauer voiced strong support for the initiative, vowing to combat political Islam “with all means possible” both domestically and across Europe. “Radical Islam is the greatest danger of our time—for our Western democracy, for the freedom of girls and women, and for everyone who wants to live their religion peacefully and freely,” Bauer said.
Muslim Brotherhood in the Crosshairs
Austria’s Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) has explicitly identified the Muslim Brotherhood as a key example of political Islam. According to the DSN, the group’s activities are aimed at embedding Muslim practices into social and political structures, with the long-term objective of establishing Sharia law or a caliphate across the West.
The security agency has also warned that the Muslim Brotherhood allegedly infiltrated the ranks of DERAD, an association ostensibly set up to serve as a deradicalization network. As a result of the suspected infiltration, Austria’s Interior Ministry has removed DERAD from the government’s network of extremist prevention and deradicalization groups.
The Austrian warnings echo findings from a French intelligence report published last year, which alleged that the Muslim Brotherhood has been pursuing a decades-long “Western conquest strategy” since the 1950s. That report claimed the group developed a “matrix of political Islamism adapted to be established” in Western nations, primarily through infiltration of government institutions and other influential societal bodies.
The French intelligence paper singled out Germany and Austria as major hubs of Muslim Brotherhood activity, noting that the two countries were “historically the first lands of establishment of the movement” in Europe.
Growing Islamist Activity
Austria has seen a significant rise in its Muslim population in recent years, and officials say that has coincided with an uptick in Islamist extremism. The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution recorded 306 acts of Islamic extremism last year, alongside 129 house raids and 40 arrests.
The government has already taken steps to address religious extremism in public spaces. Last year, Austria banned the wearing of veils in schools for girls under the age of 14—a policy that fits within the broader effort to push back against what officials describe as political Islam’s attempts to enforce strict religious practices, including veiling of women and girls and mandatory fasting during Ramadan.
The proposed constitutional ban represents a significant escalation in Austria’s approach to Islamist movements. While the exact scope of the legislation remains unclear, officials have signaled that organizations like the Muslim Brotherhood could be proscribed outright if the law is enacted.
Stocker’s comments reflect a hardline stance that has gained traction among some European governments concerned about the influence of Islamist networks. The Austrian chancellor’s assertion that religious freedom ends where democratic principles are challenged suggests the ban is intended to draw a clear legal line between private belief and political activism.
Observers note that the move could face legal hurdles, given Austria’s constitutionally protected freedom of religion. However, the government’s decision to pursue a constitutional amendment underscores its determination to place the ban beyond ordinary legislative challenge.
The announcement has not yet prompted a public response from Muslim organizations in Austria, but the proposal is likely to stir debate over the balance between countering extremism and preserving religious liberty in a country with a growing Muslim minority.
As the DSN and other European intelligence agencies continue to raise alarms about the Muslim Brotherhood’s long-term strategy, Austria appears poised to take what it describes as a proactive legal stand—one that officials hope will reverberate beyond its borders.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2026/09/02/austria-announces-plans-to-ban-political-islam-in-bid-to-confront-muslim-brotherhood/