Turkey rejected the "map of Islam" drawn up by the Austrian government to locate mosques and Islamic institutions on the territory of Austria, in a move that Islamic bodies said would contribute to stigmatizing Muslims in the country.

Ankara also rejected the statements of Austrian Integration Minister Suzanne Raab against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, stressing that what it described as "allegations" by Rap is far from reality and unacceptable.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement, on Friday, that "the presentation of Integration Minister Susan Raab a map detailing all Islamic institutions in Austria (...) is unacceptable."

The ministry urged Vienna not to "establish a registry of Muslims," ​​but to adopt a "responsible policy."

The Austrian government's interactive website published the "National Map of Islam", which identifies the names and locations of more than 600 mosques, institutions and societies, as well as officials and their potential links, and was prepared in cooperation with the University of Vienna and the Center for Documentation of Political Islam.

The "Map of Islam" published by Austria includes a list of all mosques and Islamic societies in the country (Anatolia).

But this initiative alarmed many Austrian Muslims, as the Green Party, a partner in the government coalition with the center-right ruling party, distanced itself from it.

Raab stressed that the purpose of the map "is not to put Muslims in general into question," but rather to "confront political beliefs, not religion."

Since terrorists carried out an attack that killed 4 people in Vienna last November, the first of its kind to be carried out in Austria, a rise in incidents of verbal and physical attacks against Muslims in the country has been reported.

The Austrian Muslim Representative Council said that the map "shows the government's clear intention to brand all Muslims as a potential danger" and complained of "increasing racism against Muslims."

Far from reality

In a related context, the Turkish Foreign Ministry expressed its rejection of the statements of the Austrian Integration Minister against the Turkish President, stressing that Raab's "allegations" are far from reality and unacceptable.

This came in the course of the Turkish Foreign Ministry's response, in writing, to a question he received about the statements made by the Austrian Minister on Thursday about President Erdogan.

"During a press conference held Thursday, the Austrian Integration Minister Suzanne Raab presented a map that includes a list of all Islamic societies in Austria, and her claim that the riots in Vienna were caused by the speeches of our country's president, which are far from reality and unacceptable," he added.

The imams of the Austrian Muslim community display, in a previous stand, a banner reading "United Against Extremism and Terrorism" (European)

The spokesman affirmed that these xenophobic, racist and anti-Islam policies poison Austria's social cohesion and participation, and stressed the need for Vienna to abandon the practices of targeting immigrants and Muslims, and to adopt a responsible policy.

It is worth noting that Turkey expressed its condemnation and refusal of Austrian governmental institutions to raise the Israeli flag over their buildings, during the recent Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

During that period, the Austrian capital witnessed demonstrations condemning the Israeli attacks on the Palestinians, while the Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nihamer described that aggression as an "Israeli crisis," noting that Erdogan's statements and raising Turkish flags in the Vienna demonstrations played a role in increasing tension.

However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry - according to its spokesperson Belgic - condemned and rejected Nihamir’s statements on May 17th, and stressed that his statements are "separate from reality."

And at dawn on May 21, the implementation of a ceasefire between the Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip and Israel, with Egyptian and international mediation, began after an attack by Tel Aviv on the Strip that lasted 11 days.

The Israeli aggression against the Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank and the cities of the interior resulted in 288 martyrs, including 69 children, 40 women and 17 elderly, in addition to more than 8,900 wounded. In return, 13 Israelis were killed and hundreds were wounded during the factions' response to the aggression by firing rockets at Israel.