The Austrian government has launched a major crackdown on foreign-funded Islamic organisations operating in the country. The Ministry of Education has initiated a complaint against an Islamic private school in Vienna. An investigation has raised the strong suspicion “that it is being run without any kind of registration,” Education Minister Sonja Hammerschmid said on Sunday. "Additionally, suspicions have been confirmed against other Islamic associations regarding the foreign-funding that is prohibited [under law].”

Due to modern Austria’s emergence out of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which included Muslim minorities of the Balkan region, Islam is subject to Islamgesetz, or the law regulating Islam. This almost century-old law was revised in 2015 and explicitly forbids mosques or Islamic groups from receiving foreign funding. Foreign-funded madrasas and mosques are often recruiting and training grounds for Jihadi groups in the West.

According to a report published by Austria’s leading newspaper Kronen Zeitung on Sunday, several Islamic organizations are currently under investigation for violating financial regulations:

The Department of Education is currently looking into several Islamic organizations regarding funding from abroad, something forbidden under the Islam Law. ‘Professional Association Imam Hatip’ is believed to have committed other violations. The reason [for this assumption] is an appeal for donations made by Islamic Association Milli Görüs (IGMG) in Germany for an Imam [training] schools in the city of Linz and for another school in Vienna.

The authorities suspect that this school in Vienna has been running for a long time and operating without the knowledge of the [Education] Ministry. Children, even those who are not yet of school-going age, are being taught theological continent, which violates private school regulations. [Minister of Education] Hammerschmid learned about the allegations on Friday and had ordered Vienna’s City School Council to file a case with the Municipal District Office. “We must start the investigations at once,” [Minister] said. […]

Other investigations related to foreign-funding and domestic funding regulation are also currently underway. The investigation were initiated in February 2017 after these allegation became known, including the activities of Turkish spy agency. According to the Chancellor’s Office, preliminary findings are available and further inquiries are being made. “We are dealing here with an ongoing case where one must proceed with utmost care,” [Chancellor’s Office] maintains.

“This is a very serious matter where suspicions have been confirmed and investigations have been widened,” [State Secretary] Duzdar said. [Translation by author]

Similar attempts are being made by Muslim groups to create an Islamist infrastructure elsewhere in Europe. The Radical Islamic Muslim Brotherhood has been buying properties on a large scale to set up mosques and “cultural centres” in the eastern part of Germany. “These activities are taking place in several cities including Leipzig, Riesa, Meissen, Pirna, Dresden, Bautzen and Görlitz,” the German newspaper Die Welt reported earlier this year.

“There is no shortage of financial resources,” Die Welt wrote, quoting Gordian Meyer-Plath, the head of Saxony’s Office for the Protection of Constitution, Germany’s domestic intelligence agency. “They are going across the state with huge sums of money and buying up real estate.”

“The aim of the Muslim Brotherhood is to establish Sharia in Germany,” confirmed Germany’s senior intelligence officer Meyer-Plath--just in case anyone still had any doubts.

Unlike Europe’s clueless ruling elite who are unable to think beyond a 4-year election cycle, Islamist groups have a long-term game plan as they build recruitment and operational bases in the heart of Christian Europe.