Austrian paper exposes its lack of journalistic ethics as it targets CAGE Austria

Last week “Der Standard” published a poorly researched article loaded with Islamophobic tropes targeting Muslim intellectual Marcel Krass and CAGE Austria. The article also sought to case a shadow on our participation at an important conference organised by Dokustelle Anti-muslim Racism & Islamophobia.

This followed a highly successful community empowerment event held in Ramadan/March by CAGE Austria, where Krass was invited as a headline speaker.

The article was a poor hatchet job we contend the following:

1. **Misrepresentation of CAGE Austria: **CAGE Austria, formerly ACT-P, was founded as a community response to the repressive Operation Luxor Raids. Initially focused on advocating for the rights of those affected by the raids, especially children. We have worked in close cooperation with the survivors and our efforts led to the first report on Operation Luxor, highlighting injustices faced by the targeted community. We now address broader issues of state Islamophobia and abuse of counterterrorism measures. We aim to challenge Islamophobic narratives and mechanisms, including those that enabled Operation Luxor, "Islam Map", "Documentation Centre for Political Islam." and other discriminatory measures. We have built strong ties with other civil society organisations in Austria, who appreciate our expertise and support for targeted communities in Austria.
2. Lack of Thorough Research: The article appears to rely heavily on sensationalist and poorly researched information, primarily sourced from German propaganda news regarding Marcel Krass. Krass's personal experiences and extensive religious knowledge in Islam, shaped by surviving state abuse of power, make him an invaluable asset in motivating and empowering the Muslim community, lending credibility and depth to his perspective. This demonstrates a failure to conduct due diligence in investigating the subject matter.
3. Employment of Islamophobic Tropes: The article employs age-old Islamophobic tactics by insinuating connections and networks to incite fears and prejudices against Muslim organisations and personalities.
4. **Sensationalist Media: **The article utilises sensationalism to create an illusion of a clandestine event, likening Marcel Krass to a "Salafist pop star" and exploiting dog whistles around ‘political Islam’ and ‘normative/legal Islam’. This style of reporting is irresponsible and fails to provide an accurate portrayal of the subject matter.
5. Failure to Challenge State Narratives: The journalist seems to uncritically accept state narratives, making them complicit  in perpetuating state Islamophobia. It is imperative for journalists to challenge if not question and hold states accountable rather than amplify unchallenged narratives. Importance of the conference organised by Dokustelle: Our participation in the conference organised by Dokustelle underscores the importance of academic discourse in addressing Islamophobia. The discussion on "knowledge production as a mechanism for Islamophobia '' highlights the critical role that media plays in perpetuating and solidifying islamophobic knowledge and knowledge production mechanisms. This article serves as a live example of the inherent importance to this conference and our contribution to it. 
6. Mis-reporting on Operation Luxor: The Journalist fails to reflect the true nature of the Operation Luxor, despite years of reporting on its failures, law breaking, Islamophobia and state corruption involved within it, he utilises it to criminalise pro-Palestinian solidarity in Austria and lacking to recognise the state-sponsored islamophobia which led to Operation Luxor. This biassed approach reveals the true motives behind the journalist's agenda. sources: https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000190586/die-heisseste-der-spur-der-hamas-in-wien-gleicht-einem-ewigen-deja-vu. https://www.derstandard.at/story/3000000190257/wien-zwischen-israel-solidaritaet-und-hamas-sympathie 

We will remain steadfast and resolute in our commitment to our mission, undeterred by these unfounded attacks. CAGE Austria is unwavering in its dedication to challenging state-sponsored Islamophobia and the securitisation of Muslims in Austria. We stand firmly in solidarity with all survivors who have faced targeting and repression, and we will persist in exposing the misuse of state power.

We call on media outlets to uphold professional standards of journalism and conduct thorough research before publishing articles that may perpetuate harmful stereotypes and misinformation.

CAGE Austria 

Image by Rishabh Sharma on Unsplash