Enforcing the law on Islam adopted in Feb 2015, the Austrian Minister for Internal Affairs (to the right in the photo) has proceeded to close down 7 mosques and to expel 40 Imams (some of the 260 Imams that are present in the country).

Specifically, the Austrian authorities have reproached these Imams for organizing a ceremony with children in military uniforms. This goes beyond the cultural limits on their activity imposed by the aforementioned law.

These Imams are members of “Grey Wolves”, the paramilitary branch of the Party for Nationalist Action, MHP (Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi). The “Grey Wolves” are a Turkish supremacist organization, linked to Nato.

In 1981, the number 2 of this organization, Mehmet Ali Ağca, had tried to assassinate Pope Jean Paul II for putting an end to the Ostpolitik, (policy of opening up to the East). This was the policy of Cardinal Casaroli (Secretary of State of the Vatican). The “Grey Wolves” were tried and outlawed following an attempted Coup d’etat. They were held to be responsible for 694 assassinations, including the massacres at Taksim Square (1977) and Kahramanmarash(1978). They have recently been reformed.

During the war against Syria, the “Grey Wolves” trained the Brigade Sultan Abdulhamid, which brought together the main Turkmen leaders. With the support of the Turkish Secret Services, they benefitted from training at the military base of Bayır-Bucak. In November 2015, one of their leaders, the Turkish-Syrian dual national Alparslan Çelik, had ordered the assassination of a Russian military pilot.

The headquarters in Europe is situated in Frankfurt (Germany).

The Turkish government believes that 60 not 40 imams would be expelled. Furthermore it considers that Austria’s decision shows that Austria as a nation hates Muslims. Turkey pays a salary to all the Imams that have been expelled.

Translation
Anoosha Boralessa