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| Austria bans construction of mosques |
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Wednesday, February 13, 2008
VIENNA: A southern Austrian regional parliament gave its go-ahead on Tuesday to a change in the law that would effectively ban building mosques and possibly other non-Christian establishments in the region.
While no mention was actually made of mosques or minarets in the bill approved by lawmakers in the province of Carinthia, the change to the so-called ‘Ortsbildpflegegesetz’ - or law on the upkeep of towns’ appearances - meant that special dispensations would now be required for the construction of ‘buildings of unusual dimensions.’
Carinthia’s governor, far-rightist Joerg Haider, said it was high time ‘to send a signal,’ accusing the centre-left Social Democrats of not doing anything to stop ‘the advance of Islam.’
Carinthia would be a ‘beacon for Europe’ on the matter, the leader said. The changes were condemned by the opposition Green and Social Democrat parties, as well as the Austrian Muslim community that said the changes constituted an infringement of religious freedom.
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ISSN 1563-9479 
