The Muslim Youth Austria (MJÖ) has been rebuffed by the data protection authority with its complaint against the “Islam map”. As the data protection authority now explains in a decision, the fundamental right to freedom of science and freedom of opinion outweighed the MJÖ’s right to secrecy in this case. The youth organisation objected to the public accessibility of personal data.
The Documentation Centre for Political Islam and the project leader Prof. Ednan Aslan from the University of Vienna were pleased with the decision of the data protection authority.
Last year, the Islam map of the Doku-Stelle caused sharp criticism from all sides, especially after the MJÖ came forward with massive criticism. More than 600 Islamic associations and mosques are shown on the website of the Islam map, including their locations. Apparently, the domestic critics have also activated people abroad: A veritable flood of complaints ensued against the University of Vienna at the time. Other Islamic organisations subsequently joined in the protest, and finally other religious communities also joined in the chorus of critics.
Ednan Aslan, the project leader, was surprised by all the fuss. He teaches Islamic religious education at the University of Vienna. After all, the map had already existed before: It had been online for several years starting in 2012, without triggering anywhere near as strong a reaction. Some Islamic figures who took part in the loud clamour of protest in 2021 had exchanged views with Aslan on the content of the map of the country years before and had agreed with him on a text describing their organisation. In 2021, everything suddenly changed when the map was put online again after a break of several years.
The MJÖ filed a complaint with the data protection authority because it felt that the right to confidentiality had been violated. On Wednesday, the authority finally responded. It sees no violation: freedom of science and freedom of expression outweigh the secrecy of personal data in this case, it ruled.
According to the MJÖ, information that is not generally accessible data, such as private addresses of association officials, would also be available on the map’s website. This was a cause for concern, as some complainants were “subjected to Islamophobic hostility” and there was a “real threat in the form of physical attacks against their institutions”. In addition, the institutions on the map were “presented as dangerous and suspicious across the board”.
In fact, after the presentation of the map, some people also received dangerous threats, up to and including murder, as became known. However, these were not the mosques listed, but the initiators of the map. Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) was personally threatened, as were the scientists involved, Mouhanad Khorchide and project leader Ednan Aslan.
The map produced by the Documentation Centre for Political Islam together with the University of Vienna was a contribution to a debate of public interest, emphasises the data protection authority. After all, topics related to Islam are regularly the subject of media coverage.
In fact, the addresses on the Islam map came from publicly accessible sources such as the register of associations. Neither from the register nor from the information on the “Islam map” about the MJÖ and its regional groups was it evident that private addresses were behind the addresses of the associations, the data protection authority ruled.
For the Documentation Centre Political Islam, the decision of the data protection authority shows “the great importance of academic freedom”. Ednan Aslan is also satisfied: “Our scientific work serves the public interest and today’s decision is a clear confirmation of this. Particularly in the case of socio-politically sensitive topics, objective scientific discourse must be possible; this is indispensable for a democratic society.” He added that they would continue to ensure “the necessary scientific diligence”. Aslan expressly thanked the University of Vienna for its support.
https://exxpress.at/muslimische-jugend-mjoe-blitzt-ab-beschwerde-gegen-islam-landkarte-abgewiesen/