Experts call for broader action to prevent radicalisation

Prevention of radical Islamist movements must address both online and offline activity, experts said at a conference in Bregenz on Monday, according to ORF. They warned that isolated measures such as a ban on social media would not be enough.

The Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) event examined how to counter radical Islamist movements effectively. Lisa Fellhofer, director of the Documentation Centre for Political Islam, said extremists had increasingly used digital channels for recruitment in recent years. But the most successful groups, she said, were active both online and offline, so prevention must work in both settings.

Social scientist Bernhard Heinzlmaier said efforts should extend beyond media to include religious institutions, peer groups, schools and other influences on young people. He criticised the influence of foreign state religious authorities on associations in Austria, citing the Turkish-Islamic Union ATIB. However, radicalisation at ATIB in Vorarlberg has not been established.

Vorarlberg’s security councillor, Markus Klien, said the state focused on prevention by reaching out to parents, teachers and young people and providing information.