Austria modernizes its Islamic law.

(Baonghean.vn) - On Wednesday, February 25th, the Austrian Parliament passed a new law aimed at creating "a European Muslim community." This action by Austrian lawmakers appears to be an attempt to prevent the growing extremism within the Muslim community.

The newly passed law prohibits Muslim communities or mosques from receiving foreign aid and requires leaders of Muslim communities to be proficient in German. At the same time, it is the first document to recognize the rights of Muslims in the military, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, and even in public schools.

A mosque in the village of Telfs, Austria. Photo: Reuters

The law was presented in Vienna by a left-wing and right-wing coalition government. It is a modernized version of the "Islamic Code" enacted in 1912 after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria's new Islamic law is considered similar to those of several European countries, including France. Recently, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls also announced plans to block foreign funding for Muslim communities or mosques.

Statistics show that Austria is a country of 8.5 million people, of whom approximately 560,000 are Muslim, mainly of Turkish, Bosnian, Chechen, and Iranian origin. Following the passage of the new law, lawmakers stated that it was less controversial than the initial draft, except for the provisions requiring an “official” German translation of the Quran.

The law on Islam, passed by the Austrian Parliament on Wednesday, was drafted two years ago and declared to be unrelated to recent attacks by Islamic extremists in Europe. However, the law has also been modified to reflect the current situation, especially after the Austrian government reported that nearly 200 Austrians, including women and children, have left the country to join the ranks of the extremist Islamic State (IS) in Syria and Iraq recently.

Chu Thanh– according to LeMonde, February 25