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The latest instance of right-wing extremism in Austria was the recent defacement of the outer wall of the former Nazi concentration and death camp at Mauthausen, Upper Austria.
The words, "The progeny of Muslims are for us what the Jews were to our fathers. Be on your guard. A third world war – an eighth crusade," were spray-painted in 70-centimetre-high letters on the outer wall at the memorial’s entrance. The vandalism was discovered last Friday morning.In response, Mauthausen Committee Austria Chairman Willi Mernyi called the defacement "a radical-right provocation" and said it constituted "a wholly new dimension of right-wing extremism." He added the choice of words showed the perpetrators were familiar with Nazi hate language.
The Austrian Islamic Denomination appealed to politicians and to civil society to take "the frightening signal" seriously and to undertake measures to promote more public consciousness of the situation in Austrian society.
The organisation added the incident was closely linked to anti-Semitism and hatred of Muslims.
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Source: Austrian Times (English)
