Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes In Austria

Austria is a landlocked country in the southern part of Central Europe, situated at Eastern Alps. About three-fourths of Austrians are Christian and the overwhelming majority of them are adherents to Roman Catholicism; Protestants (mainly Lutherans) and Orthodox Christians form smaller groups. Islam has small adherents; around 700,000 were registered as members of various Muslim communities in 2016, mainly due to the influx from Turkey, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

According to data released in June 2022, over 1000 Islamophobic incidents were reported the previous year; a shocking increase, which has grown year upon year.

Research into anti-Muslim hate crimes in Austria have found that the overwhelming majority of the attacks, which take place are men targeting women: with a staggering 69% of victims being female, many of whom wear the hijab. However, it is not only street level crimes being carried out, which target Muslims.