Austria Celebrates 100th Anniversary of Its Inclusive Law on Islam

Last weekend, senior Austrian government officials and members of Austria's Islamic community attended ceremonies to mark the 100th anniversary of Austria's Law on Islam.  BBC reports that the law is seen as a model of tolerance in Europe.  The law as originally enacted provided:

The adherents of Islam shall be granted recognition as a religious community in the kingdoms and crown-lands represented in the Imperial Council in the meaning of the Constitutional Law of 21 December, 1867... The religious community of the adherents of Islam according to the Hanafite rite shall... enjoy the same legal protection as is granted to other legally recognised religious communities. The doctrines of Islam, its institutions and customs shall enjoy the same protection too, unless they are in contradiction to state law.

The law, which was later expanded to include other forms of Islam in addition to Hanafi, came into force in 1912 as an attempt to integrate Muslim Bosnian soldiers into the Habsburg Army.