“Islamophobia”

Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Libya are all among the world’s top oil producers, and mega-rich oil sheikhs have been a fixture of the international cultural landscape for decades. But there were wealthy and powerful Islamic states before anyone had need for massive quantities of petroleum, and the way that they became wealthy and powerful should make Western political leaders think carefully about their foreign and domestic policies. Not that they will actually do so, of course.

Britain’s grooming gangs, where authorities turned a blind eye to thousands of girls abused by drugs and sexual exploitation, have come to Austria, and the impact has been fatal.

In Innsbruck, young girls are being driven into drug addiction and prostitution, with three teens, aged 13, 14, and 16, dying due to suspected overdoses since just this last February. In the case of the youngest, the autopsy revealed that she had died after consuming several hard drugs, including cocaine, opiates, and psychotropic medications.

Perhaps no recent controversy symbolizes Vienna’s cultural unease more clearly than the city government’s decision earlier this year not to erect a statue honoring Polish King John III Sobieski. Sobieski led the Christian coalition that defeated Ottoman forces outside Vienna on September 12, 1683, in one of the decisive battles of European history.

A recent study conducted on behalf of the city of Vienna highlights a concerning trend among young Muslims regarding their religious and political views. This follows the recent announcement that Muslim children now comprise nearly 41 percent of the population in Vienna’s compulsory schools, making them the largest religious group.

An unexpected film is screened outside of competition at the Cannes Film Festival this Wednesday, May 13th. Called L’Abandon (The Abandonment), it recounts the days leading up to the death of Samuel Paty, the history teacher who was beheaded on October 16, 2020, for showing his pupils cartoons of Muhammad as part of a lesson on freedom of expression.