Lecturer fined for calling Koran ‘evil’
An Islam-criticising lecturer has been fined for vilification of religious theories.Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff was in court yesterday (Tues) for calling Islam “hostile” and the Koran “evil” in a seminar held in a Viennese hotel in 2009.An ongoing debate about the Austrian system of subsidising party academies was fuelled when it emerged that the event which could be attended free of charge was organised by the academy of the right-wing Freedom Partys (FPÖ) academy.Sabaditsch-Wolff was ordered to pay a fine of 480 Euros over her statements as judges considered her claims as a vilification of religious theories. The lecturer was however acquitted of accusations that she made herself guilty of agitation. Her lawyer appealed the verdict which is therefore not yet legally binding.Sabaditsch-Wolff said in her speech that Islamic prophet Mohamed “enjoyed having something going on with kids”. She also claimed: “Muslims want war, they hate us”.The disputed congress was attended by around 30 people. FPÖ chairman Heinz-Christian Strache personally invited citizens close to the party to attend the event.FPÖ General Secretary Herbert Kickl said today he considered the courts verdict as “shocking”, claiming that it “downplayed” paedophilia. He added that Sabaditsch-Wolff has been confronted with a “media campaign”.The verdict against Sabaditsch-Wolff comes around two years after Susanne Winter resigned as head of the FPÖs Graz department. The right-winger claiming in a speech that Mohammed “would be considered a child molester nowadays”. She also said that the prophet who founded Islam had written the Koran “during epileptic fits”. Winter subsequently entered the federal parliament as a member of the FPÖ to the fury of political opponents and various anti-discrimination groups.The FPÖ has done well in various elections over the past years by focusing on attacking Muslims, claiming they are unwilling to integrate into society. The partys Styrian branch presented an internet game called “Moschee ba ba” (Bye, bye mosque) ahead of a provincial election in 2010. The shooter ended with the following statement: “Styria full of minarets and mosques? Vote (provincial party boss) Gerhard Kurzmann and the FPÖ to avoid this from happening!”The rightist partys Viennese department received seven million Euros in public subsidies last year following its strong performance in the city parliament ballot held in October. The FPÖ came second with nearly 26 per cent of the overall vote, up from less than 15 per cent in the 2005 election.The FPÖ was however kept from actual political power when the Viennese Social Democrats (SPÖ) decided to form a coalition with the Greens. Both parties suffered substantial losses in the election.Strache said his goal was to become mayor after the 2015 city election, adding that another aim was to become the strongest political force in Austria. The FPÖ garnered 17.5 per cent in the most recent general election in 2008.