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March 3, 2008

Austria: Burka Ban In First Muslim Terror Trial

Today, the first case of homegrown Islamic terrorism began in Austria. Two defendants, a couple who claim to be married under "Islamic law" but have undergone no official legal marriage, went on trial in Vienna's provincial court. The first day of the trial became controversial as the woman defendant, known only as 21-year old Mona S., refused to remove her burka.

The news is carried by DPA via Expatica, BBC, Associated Press, DPA, Daily Times, Reuters, DPA (again) and Azerbaijan's Trend.

Mona S. and 22-year old Mohammed M. are accused of "membership of a terrorist organization namely al-Qaeda, respectively other internationally active radical Islamist terrorism networks". In March last year they are said to have produced an Islamist video which was placed on the internet. This video purported to come from a group calling itself "Voice of the Caliphate" and contained threats against Austria and Germany.

Additionally the couple are charged with plotting bomb attacks which were to have taken place in June 2008 during European soccer championships hosted in Austria and Switzerland. Additionally Mohammed M. had discussed on the internet plans to attack international organizations in Vienna, said public prosecutor Michael Klackl. His "wife" had provided translations. The international organizations were named on Monday by the judge as the Vienna offices of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), UN agencies in Vienna, German government offices and prominent politicians in Austria and Germany.

The couple were arrested on September 12 2007, but no explosives were found during the raid. The arrests had happened at this time as the pair were then believed to be preparing to travel to Egypt for their honeymoon. Mohammed M. was born in Egypt. Both are Austrian citizens. Lennart Binder, attorney for both individuals, said that the pair denied all charges against them.

Binder acknowledged that the pair admitted mebership of an internet group called the Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF). Both had contributed to this group, but it was not a terrorist organization, he claimed.

According to the BBC, the video posted in March 2007 which made threats against Germany and Austria was signed by the Global Islamic Media Front. Whether this is connected to a genuine al-Qaeda media group called by the same name remains to be seen. The original GIMF (called al-Jabhah al-'ilamiyah al-islamiyah al-'alamiyah) had been expanding between 2005 and 2006.

The accused couple are both second generation immigrants of Arabic descent. The argument over Mona S. refusing to wear her burka happened as under Austrian law, it is obligatory for faces to be at least partially visible during a trial.

She argued that her religion prevented her from removing her burka and said that there were "too many men here". She maintained that removing her face covering was a violation of her religious freedom: "I'm a Muslim and in Austria there is religious freedom." The court maintained that this was an "individual interpretation" and could be construed as contempt of court, promoting Islamist thinking. Even though Lennart Binder protested that removing her from the courtroom would prejudice her trial, Mona S. was escorted outside by women guards on the orders of Judge Norbert Gerstberger.

Mohammed M. said that on the internet he had lied and exaggerated his status and background. He did this, he said, to help free German hostage Hannelore Krause in Iraq and British captive Alan Johnston in Gaza, and to obtain an exclusive interview with Osama bin Laden or Ayman al-Zawahiri for an Austrian journalist. Mohammed M. said: "Much of what I wrote didn't reflect my opinions."

Under Austria's penal code, leadership of a terrorist association can invoke a jail term of five to fifteen years, and threatening terrorist acts as part of a terrorist association can draw a jail sentence of from one to 10 years.

The trial is expected to conclude by Thursday of this week.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at March 3, 2008 8:13 PM

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