Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, sparked a heated controversy after stating in an interview that it was important to ‘fight against Islam’. Although she later clarified that she was referring to political Islam, this statement shocked the Muslim community and drew political criticism.

The president of the Islamic Religious Community in Austria (IGGÖ), Ümit Vural, responded by stating that ‘this phrasing is not only general and disrespectful, but also represents a direct attack on the dignity of more than 700,000 Muslims in Austria’. He added that the declaration of a ‘fight against Islam’ exposed Austrian Muslims to a direct risk of attacks and hostility.

Following this wave of criticism, Mikl-Leitner backtracked, clarifying that she was actually referring to ‘political Islam’ and not Islam as a whole, emphasizing her commitment against radicalization and those who ‘abuse religion for political purposes’.