A Vienna civil court has ruled that a €320,000 arbitration decision under Sharia law is valid in Austria.
The case involved two men who had agreed to settle their contractual dispute according to Islamic law, specifically following the “Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaah” principles.
According to the private arbitration tribunal, one of the men was ordered to pay €320,000, but challenged the ruling, arguing that Sharia is ambiguous, arbitrary, and incompatible with Austria’s fundamental legal values.
However, the Regional Court for Civil Law Matters confirmed the decision.
The court, however, confirmed the arbitration decision without reviewing which specific Islamic rules were applied, stating that it only needed to ensure the outcome did not violate the ”fundamental principles” of Austrian law.
The ruling establishes that Sharia-based regulations can be validly agreed upon in Austrian civil disputes, regardless of their alignment with existing law.
The ruling has sparked widespread concern, with legal experts and citizens questioning whether Austria is opening the door to the gradual acceptance of Sharia law, and warning that private contracts under Islamic law could create a parallel justice system.
