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The SÖZ party (Austria) proposes that Ramadan be made a public holiday.

The leader of the FPÖ in Vienna replies, «Anyone who wants a holiday should go to Syria.»..

The candidate for the mayoralty of Vienna, Sali Attia

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Vienna's politics are embroiled in controversy following a proposal by the party Soziales Österreich der Zukunft (SÖZ). This minority party, however, has aspirations. proposes that the end of Ramadan be an official public holiday in Austria, according to media outlets such as OE24 o Cosmos.

The president of SÖZ argues that Vienna is a «multicoloured and diverse» city and that it is time for this diversity to be reflected in the official calendar as well.. According to Gördü, more than 200,000 Muslims live in the Austrian capital, and therefore their festivals should be officially recognised, just like Christmas or Easter. Furthermore, he proposes holding an annual large public celebration of Eid al-Fitr (the end of Ramadan) in Vienna's Town Hall Square, similar to the traditional Christmas or Easter markets, as a symbol of coexistence and recognition of the city's cultural diversity. He believes it would be a way to honour the 800,000 Muslims living in Austria

This initiative is strongly supported by Sali Attia, the SÖZ candidate for the mayoralty of Vienna. She emphasises that this festival would send a strong signal of an open, diverse and inclusive city. In her view, Vienna could serve as a model of harmonious coexistence. Attia sees this as an opportunity to make the city's cultural diversity visible.

The current mayor of Vienna expressed his support for the festival.

The FÖP blames the mayor for caving in to Islam.

This proposal has been met with outrage by Dominik Nepp (FÖP), who accuses Vienna's Social Democratic mayor, Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), of fostering this kind of initiative. Nepp criticises that, in a recent invitation to the iftar (breaking of the fast) at the Town Hall, Radical Islamic messages such as «There is no god but Allah» were projected, a prayer room was set up and people were called to prayer.. In response to SÖZ's proposal, Nepp has stated: «Anyone who wants a holiday should go to Syria or Afghanistan.«.

Tension ahead of the elections

This debate arises in a tense political context, with Vienna's municipal elections scheduled for 27 April. SÖZ, which currently has representation in some Viennese districts, is seeking to expand its presence on the city council. The proposal to declare Eid al-Fitr an official public holiday could be a strategy to win the vote of the Muslim community and of those who support greater inclusion of cultural and religious minorities.

The SÖZ defines itself as a «social and ecological» party positioned to the left of the political centre. Its main objectives include the fight against Islamophobia, the promotion of multiculturalism and the protection of minorities. In the 2020 Vienna municipal and regional elections, the SÖZ party received 1.21% of the vote, failing to secure representation in the regional parliament but winning seven seats in six district councils.

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