Islamic leaders in Austria caught spending donation money on prostitutes
The complaint comes from the Turkish religious authority Diyanet, which sends imams and monitors Islamic communities in countries such as Austria.
Campaign to raise funds to buy animals for sacrifice
Association of Tertiary Institutions and Boards
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A scandal has rocked Austria's Islamic community after serious allegations against several of its leaders came to light. According to reports the Turkish newspaper Sözcü in early August, , Part of the donations collected from Muslim faithful were allegedly used to pay for prostitutes.. Those who have uncovered the case are not the enemies of Islam but a Turkish public organisation that controls Muslim communities around the world.
The complaint comes from the Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey (Diyanet), the body that sends and supervises imams abroad. A five-year internal investigation in Vienna has reportedly uncovered that two senior officials linked to the ATIB —the organisation that brings together the majority of Turkish mosques in Austria—misappropriated funds raised for religious and charitable causes, such as the pilgrimage to Mecca or aid for vulnerable families.
Imams dismissed from Turkey
The complaint was filed by the Directorate of Religious Affairs of Turkey (Diyanet), the body that oversees Turkish Islamic communities around the world. After five years of investigations in Vienna, Diyanet has dismissed two imams identified by the initials F.M.K. and M.Ş. for “indiscipline and serious breach of their duties.”.
According to the research, Part of the funds raised were allegedly used to pay for the services of at least four escorts., concealing these expenses under false headings such as rents, residence permits or cultural activities. Furthermore, the investigation points that luxury events were organised with the aim of securing preferential treatment from the Diyanet inspectors responsible for reviewing the management of the funds. These events would include meals at expensive restaurants, stays in high-end hotels and other amenities intended to establish a personal relationship with the inspectors.
Silence from the Austrian government and the Islamic leadership
The head office of ATIB in Vienna, the highest body of the Turkish Islamic community in Austria, He has chosen not to comment on the accusations.. According to the Austrian press, requests for information by both email and telephone have gone unanswered. Turkish sources say that the Austrian authorities have already been informed of the case.
For its part, the Kultusamt — the Federal Government's office responsible for relations with religious communities — has confirmed that it will require ATIB to provide an official response to the reports that have appeared in the Turkish media. At the same time, it has initiated a Review of the funding the organisation receives from abroad, with the aim of verifying its legality and transparency..
Growing distrust of donations to religious organisations
The scandal has ignited the alarms about the management of fundraising campaigns within some Islamic organisations in Austria. The revelations about the misuse of funds by leaders of the Turkish community have fuelled the distrust of many worshippers, who donated money believing it would be used for religious or charitable causes.
This lack of transparency is not an isolated problem. Other organisations, such as the Hasene organisation — linked to the Islamic Federation (Milli Görüş) — also regularly collect donations., but without providing clear information on the final use of the money. Although they publish images of the delivery of goods to people in need, Requests for detailed information on the balance sheet and the exact destination of the funds usually go unanswered.. Despite this, contributions to Hasene remain tax-deductible in Austria.
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