A decades-long dispute over a mosque and Koran school in Leonding, Upper Austria, is escalating once again after city authorities officially confirmed that the religious site is operating illegally, Austrian Express reports. The mosque, run by the “Islamic Assembly and Educational Association,” occupies space in a commercial property on Welserstraße. Its landlord, Siegfried Meinhart, has been fighting an expensive legal battle to remove the tenants for years, but the Islamist group shows no signs of leaving.
The saga began 20 years ago when four men signed a lease to use two floors of Meinhart’s property for what was supposed to be a private club. Soon after, it became clear the space was being used for religious purposes. Other tenants complained of disputes over parking, vandalism, and threats. In one recorded confrontation, a member of the mosque declared: “The kuffar [unbelievers, ed.] have no say in the matter to me and my brothers; we have the right here.” Several businesses moved out, citing problems linked to the mosque’s operation.
Despite these conflicts, Austrian courts and local authorities repeatedly downplayed concerns. In January 2023, the Traun District Court dismissed Meinhart’s eviction suit, ruling that running a mosque or Koran school in breach of contract did not constitute sufficient grounds for termination. Meanwhile, the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution assured local officials the association was “unproblematic.” Yet evidence suggests the mosque has ties to the Turkish Islamist Ismailaga sect, known in Germany for extremist and anti-constitutional positions. Inside the premises, religious literature and symbols linked to the sect were visible, though members deny this.
Unsurprisingly, Brussels has financed this organization through its unchecked, dangerous spending frenzy. The Yavuz Sultan Selim Ismailaga Youth Foundation, connected to the sect, received €31,455 from the EU’s Erasmus+ fund in 2022 for “anti-discrimination” workshops. Following criticism, the European Commission demanded repayment, but it remains unclear whether the funds were ever returned.
The turning point came earlier this year when a fire inspection, conducted under police protection, confirmed that a mosque had been constructed without permits. The city’s building authority ruled that prayer houses cannot be classified as commercial use under zoning laws. This decision should have cleared the way for eviction, but the association continues to hold Friday prayers, openly defying the order.
Meinhart, frustrated by mounting legal costs and years of setbacks, is preparing to launch a new eviction case with different legal counsel. For the landlord, the question remains whether Austria’s rule of law can finally bring this long-running conflict to an end and protect its citizens or will Austria play into the hands of criminals in the name of liberalism.
