Vienna: Islamic group blasts imams’ conference

Vienna: Islamic group blasts imams’ conference


More on the Conference for European Imams and Religious Advisers
This article was prepared by the Islam in Europe blog - islamineurope.blogspot.com

The participants in this third Conference of European Imams come from all over Europe. We invited about ca. 120 participants from ca. 40 European Countries and a few hundred guests (politicians, religious representatives, diplomats, representatives of civil society) for the opening ceremony (14th May 2010; Hotel Marriott)


Prominent guests for the Opening Ceremony are e.g.:


- Dr. Heinz Fischer - The Federal President of the Republic of Austria (Video)
- Dr. Michael Spindelegger - Foreign Minister of the Republic of Austria
- Dr. Michael Häupl - Mayor & Governour of the City of Vienna


The aims of the conference are:


- The theological statement of the "middle path" as a crucial part of the scientific Islamic thought.
- Abolishing violence within families, society and the international community.
- Promoting women's role as an influential part of the European muslim communities and preparing and qualifying them for this task.
- Clarifying the Muslim positions towards current and future European issues.
- Defining, organising and building relations between European Muslims and their fellow citizens by promoting dialogue and peaceful social interaction.


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The Initiative of Liberal Austrian Muslims (ILMÖ) has harshly criticised the upcoming Third Conference of European Imams and Pastors in Vienna.


ILMÖ said 120 Muslims from 40 countries would attend the 14-15 May conference at the invitation of the Austrian Islamic Denomination (IGGiÖ).


ILMÖ claimed that none of the attendees from abroad knew anything about Muslim life in Austria and explained that, since there was no religious hierarchy in Islam, any Muslim could be his own imam. It also noted there were no pastors in Islam.


ILMÖ added that IGGiÖ had no influence in Austrian mosques and most Austrian Muslims knew nothing about the conference, which meant it would be useless for them, as the two previous such conferences had been.


The time and money wasted on the conference were dangerous, given the danger of political Islam for European Muslims, ILMÖ said.


(more)

Source: Austrian Times (English)