A new annual report from Austria’s Documentation Centre for Political Islam (DPI) shows a sharp rise in Islamist activity, both online and in public spaces.
According to the report, extremists are becoming increasingly visible in everyday Austrian life, often adopting youth culture codes to attract young people.
In 2024, the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution recorded 215 Islamist offences—an increase of 41.5% on the previous year.
DPI director Lisa Fellhofer warned that extremist groups exploit global events to push their agenda, reframing any criticism of political Islam as an attack on all Muslims. Particularly troubling is the growing display of Islamist symbols in public, including the red triangle used by Hamas.
The report stresses how extremists combine online propaganda, street activism, and lifestyle products to spread a worldview that demonises Western democracies, fuels antisemitism, and justifies violence. Islamist influencers on social media specifically target young audiences, using conflicts in Israel-Palestine and Syria to promote extremist narratives. Content that glorifies terrorism circulates widely online, while dissent is routinely dismissed as “Islamophobia.”
Businesses with Salafist backgrounds now market clothing and literature with extremist slogans both online and in physical shops, forming part of a wider ecosystem that ranges from everyday cultural products to open support for terrorism.
