Anti-Semitism in Europe (archives)
Photo courtesy of the Jewish Agency
Austrian teacher suspended over anti-Semitic pamphlet
Muslim teacher at Vienna middle school tells students not to shop at 'Jewish' stores
Officials say a Muslim religion teacher in Vienna has been suspended for allegedly giving his students anti-Semitic pamphlets.
Education Minister Claudia Schmied has urged the Vienna School Authority to ban the middle school teacher for encouraging students to abstain from shopping at businesses he listed as "Jewish."
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Islamic Community President Anas Schakfeh says the teacher was suspended Thursday and an investigation into his actions is under way.
The teacher has not been identified but Schakfeh says he is "around 30 years old." He taught at a regular school in Vienna.
Meanwhile, the Austrian Times published a study by a local professor of the sociology of religion at the Islamic Religion and Pedagogical Institute at Vienna University.
Professor Mouhanad Khorchide concluded in his study that Muslim teachers in Austria are generally anti-democratic, and some were dubbed "fanatical".
He said that of the 210 Muslim teachers surveyed, 21.9% reject democracy as incompatible with Islam, while 22.6% have "fanatical attitudes".
The study also concluded that 8.5% of Muslim teachers consider violence a legitimate means to spread Islam, 44% considered it important to tell students they were better than non-Muslims, and 28.4% did not believe it possible to be both Muslim and European.
