*Vienna-Imam Ali Center Floridsdorf: Closure under review*

Report: Muhammad Amir Siddique Journalist Vienna Austria.

The National Council intends to examine the possibility of closing the Imam Ali Center in Floridsdorf. A mass brawl recently broke out at the center following a memorial service for the assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. The center is also a thorn in the side of the district. Several parties, including the Greens, the FPÖ, NEOS, and the ÖVP, have recently called for an investigation into the Islamic Center.

The Imam Ali Center on Richard-Neutra-Gasse has long been suspected of having close ties to Iran. “To protect freedom, security, and the rights of all those who have fled precisely such regimes,” the SPÖ wrote in a press release, “a review of its closure is necessary.” They added that a corresponding motion had been unanimously passed in the Interior Committee.

The Islamic Center will also be discussed at Wednesday’s meeting of the Floridsdorf district council, and a resolution will be introduced. “Apart from the recent violent incident in front of the center, we have information indicating that not only extremist ideologies, but also antisemitic and homophobic messages are being spread here. Such things have no place in our district,” said District Mayor Georg Papai. He emphasized that they were not involved in the sale of the property to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The Imam Ali Islamic Center is run as an association. In a 2022 report, the Documentation Center for Political Islam classified the center as one of the institutions through which the Islamic Republic attempts to exert influence. Furthermore, the center has been repeatedly visited by high-ranking Iranian politicians during stays in Austria.

The Vienna building authority has also inspected the building several times, and its use as a mosque was prohibited under administrative law. The district council has now requested a further inspection. A mass brawl in early March recently caused a major stir. According to police, around 70 people attacked each other after a memorial service for the assassinated Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. A total of nine people were injured.