Austria has ‘no problem with Islam’, says envoy

Says human rights protection an integral part of her country’s foreign policy

Karachi

The promotion and protection of human rights at home and the world over forms an integral part of the Austrian foreign policy, and we have no problem with Islam but we want everyone to practise their religion within the ambit of the rules and regulations stipulated by the government.

This was stated by Brigitta Blaha, Austrian ambassador to

Pakistan, while addressing the media, intellectuals and members of the Pakistan Institute of International Affairs (PIIA) on Tuesday evening. She was giving an overview of the Austrian foreign policy.

To a question as to whether the Turkish immigrant labourers had managed to assimilate into Austrian society especially as far as religious freedom was considered, she replied, “We have no problem with Islam but we want everyone to practise his religion within the ambit of the rules and regulations stipulated by the government. We don’t want any disruption or anything that goes against our cultural values.”

Talking of human rights, she said that it particularly included the rights of women, children, and religious minorities.

She said Vienna had become a centre of international developmental institutions and the fight against international terrorism.

“In the domain of international development cooperation, our emphasis is on poverty reduction and fostering international peace and amity,” she said.

Besides, Blaha said, “We aim at a cultural dialogue because culture is a very important ingredient of international amity.” 

In this regard, she said there was a plan to sponsor a training tour of Pakistani musicians to Austria.

By and large, she said, Austria had a very flexible foreign policy. “It is a policy of total neutrality. We do not allow any foreign military powers to use our territory and we don’t join any military pacts. As for our leanings, we are more inclined to the ideologically democratic Western camp.”

In 1955, she said, Austria became a member of the United Nations, and Vienna was home to so many United Nations organizations like the UNIDO, and other international economic organizations like OPEC (Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries).

The Austrian foreign policy, she said, existed in concentric circles. The first one was the immediately neighbouring countries like Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany, she said. Then came countries like those of southern Europe and the states of the enlarged European Community (EC), after which came the countries of the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and later the countries of South and South-East Asia, she added.

“We believe in having peace in the Middle East and the Mediterranean region. We have strong links with the nations of South and South-East Asia.” 

To a question about the fissures that were making themselves visible in the EC, her opinion was that the EC had been a very successful organisation and that there had been no intra-Europe conflict after World War II.  The talk was followed by a highly involved question-answer session.