Islamophobia more aggressive against women than men in Austria

Muslim women wearing the headscarf in Austria face more anti-Muslim hate and discrimination than men, according to a local activist working against Islamophobia.

“The most victims we have are women who wear the hijab. … Because of the hijab, because of the visibility of the hijab, a lot of women face more anti-Muslim racism,” Munira Mohamud, an activist working at an Austrian NGO, Dokustelle, told Anadolu.

According to the organization which documents anti-Muslim hate crimes and racism, over 1,000 Islamophobic incidents were reported last year in the country, with women being the majority of victims as compared to men.

The details of the organization’s findings of 2022 are to be released in May, while the 2021 statistics showed that women, with 69.2%, were also subjected to Islamophobia more than men.

Mohamud, a Muslim woman wearing a headscarf and living in Vienna, said she also encountered Islamophobia last year when she was outdoors. A man came up to her and told her to take off her hijab.

“What is this on your head? Take it away,” the man said, before using a derogatory word in German for it, she said.

Mohamud added that while using public transport she has experienced no direct attacks but often feels some stares from commuters. “So, people are constantly looking at you like something is wrong with you or like you are doing something wrong.”

According to Austria's Federal Statistical Office, there are currently 645,600 Muslims in Austria.