The Council of Europe on Monday called upon Austria to withdraw the controversial “Islam map”.
Publication of the map is hostile to Muslims and potentially counterproductive, the top European human rights body said in a statement.
Countering extremism and ideologies that spread dangerous narratives under the guise of freedom of religion is an important national security task but the map serves “existing resentments” and many Muslims feel it as “extremely discriminatory,” the statement noted.
“They feel stigmatized and threatened in their security by the publication of addresses and other details.”
Last week, Austria’s Integration Ministry launched a website providing details of the country’s 620 mosques and Islamic associations, with the location, address and names of officials.
