Association Known to the Police

Security Alert! Graz Mosque on Terror List

A court in Cairo has placed the “Liga Kultur” association—along with other organizations and individuals in Europe—on the terror list for five years.(Bild: Jürgen Fuchs)

A court in Cairo has placed the “Liga Kultur” association—along with other organizations and individuals in Europe—on the terrorist list for five years.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Christian Jauschowetz, stock.adobe.com)

A security warning from Egypt, of all times, during the peaceful pre-Christmas season: A court in Cairo has placed an association—known to our national security agencies—behind an Islamic place of worship in Styria on the terror list due to ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Local authorities, however, are powerless...

Specifically, this concerns a recent ruling by the Cairo Criminal Court. In it, 35 organizations and 36 individuals are placed on the country’s anti-terrorism list for five years. Affected are Islamic associations, institutions, and councils operating throughout Europe.

Right in the thick of it is the “Liga Kultur” association (registered as the Islamic Cultural Complex) in Austria. Among other things, it operates the “al-Nur Mosque” (from the Arabic: “Church of Light”) in Graz.

Association Already in the Spotlight After the Vienna Attack
Even after the 2020 terrorist attack in Vienna, the organization was at the center of national security investigations as part of “Operation Ramses.” This operation targeted suspected networks of the Muslim Brotherhood.

It is not possible to close the mosque.(Bild: Jürgen Fuchs)

Furthermore, the Information Center on Political Islam has already issued a warning. Experts view the association as a hub with ideological and personnel ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. The association and the officials involved have vigorously rejected all allegations of terrorism, extremism, or illegal financing.

The rule of law is powerless
The authorities, however, have their hands tied; the rule of law is powerless. In response to an inquiry from the “Krone,” the Ministry of Integration and Cultural Affairs stated that “the current legal situation does not permit the closure of such a mosque.”

Facts & Figures

• The Muslim Brotherhood has been an influential Islamic movement since its founding in Egypt in 1928.
• It also founded Hamas and is classified as a terrorist organization in several countries.
• In Austria, however, only the symbol is prohibited by law.

The responsible ÖVP minister, Claudia Bauer, sees this as proof “that Austria needs the ban on political Islam called for by Federal Chancellor Christin Stocker.” The Kultur League is the official mosque congregation of the IGGÖ. “The Islamic Religious Community is called upon to take action. At the same time, the state must not be condemned to stand idly by in the face of extremist structures.”

Incidentally, in Austria only the symbolism of the Muslim Brotherhood is banned, not the politically influential movement itself.

Disturbing Videos of Self-Flagellation
Meanwhile, in Vienna’s Floridsdorf district, potential radical Islamic activities are also causing a stir. In April, the National Council voted in favor of closing the “Imam Ali Center.” Prior to that, the “Krone” newspaper published disturbing screenshots, including images of self-flagellation.

The facility, which is run by a limited liability company (GmbH) and is not registered as a mosque, has ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The EU officially classifies the Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization—a potential lever to finally shut down this “house of worship.”