Austria to ban Islamic State symbols in crackdown on militants
Austria to ban Islamic State symbols in crackdown on militants
VIENNA - Austria plans to ban militant Islamist groups' symbols and strip citizenship from people who travel abroad to fight with jihadists in a crackdown announced by conservative government ministers on Monday.
The People's Party (OVP) campaign still needs to be coordinated with their Social Democrat coalition partners but looks likely to be adopted amid mounting concern in Austria about the potential security threat from radicalised Muslims, especially those who ally with Islamic State.
Authorities suspect more than 140 people in Austria - most of them foreigners who sought asylum - have allied themselves with Islamist groups fighting abroad. Expressions of support for them on the Internet are becoming common.
