A secretive, Islamophobic , and Pan-European project "The Vienna Forum on Countering Segregation and Extremism", is a major threat to Pro-Palestinian Activism and Solidarity in Europe.
On October 24, 2023, Austrian Minister @susanneraab_at hosted the third Annual Vienna Forum, a secretive conference attended by 10 EU states and 150 experts. It masks discussions about the "Muslim question" under the pretext of combating "extremism" and "political Islam."
This year's keynote speaker was @AhmadMansour__, a German-Israeli "extremism expert" who supports hijab bans. He also endorses the Austrian Documentation Center for Political Islam, a state-sponsored Muslim surveillance initiative.
The choice of Ahmad Mansour as the keynote speaker reflects the forum's agenda: the criminalisation of pro-Palestine activism.
Mansour, a Palestinian with Israeli citizenship, plays the role of a native informant legitimising the racist and anti-Muslim views of Western elites.
Mansour also co-authored a politically motivated report that led to the purge of 7 Arab journalists alleging anti-semitism.
Mansour has worked tirelessly to silence #ProPalestine activism by equating it with anti-Semitism and sympathy for terrorism. In his keynote speech, echoed these sentiments.
Mansour's presence at the #ViennaForum can be seen as a measure to heighten the securitization narrative, especially in light of unfolding events in Palestine. He argues that solidarity with Israel is a prerequisite in the fight against “extremism” and “terrorism.”
This argument insinuates that, for Muslim Europeans, demonstrating solidarity with #Palestine can/should lead to harsh counter terrorism and extremism measures, including surveillance, criminalisation, and control.
Mansour has dedicated his entire career to stigmatizing Muslim youth in Germany. Through books, articles, active participation in public debates, and the establishment of projects, he has consistently propagated a pervasive sense of suspicion against Muslim youth.
This is exemplified in the following quote:
“the threat Germany faces comes not from a few hundred fanatic Islamists, but from the entire generation of young Muslims—Generation Allah—who are all under threat of Islamic radicalisation.”
Mansour's attack on Islam and Muslims has gained him favourability among German conservatives, giving him a significant presence in debates about Islam and integration. This has significantly fueled Mansour's profile, allowing him to amass funding and accolades for his work.
His for-profit anti-extremism consultancy, received a substantial €792,000 from the Bavarian government.
Mansour is part of a network of self-proclaimed "Islam experts" whose reports and studies are used by states to marginalize and criminalize Muslims. Such actions can lead to large-scale police operations like "Operation Luxor."
https://derstandard.at/story/2000142...e-aufpeitscher
The #ViennaForum is driven by the Austrian government with support from France, Denmark, and Belgium. It aims to establish an alliance of establishment elites promoting #Islamophobia on a state level across Europe, while given legitimacy by these 'experts' and 'intellectuals'.
We anticipate that Islamophobic states, which have already been suppressing Palestinian voices, will be further emboldened and radicalised by this alliance.
It's imperative for us to challenge the #ViennaForum and debunk the biased intellectual foundation it provides for the crackdown on Palestinian activism in Europe.
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