Wasn’t Abdulmedzid Sijamhodzic vetted before the army hired him, to determine whether he was really a “moderate”? Of course not. Why not? Because to have done so would have been “Islamophobic.” All non-Muslims are required to assume that all Muslims reject and abhor jihad violence, and any attempt to confirm that is evidence of “bigotry.” This is not about considering people guilty until proven innocent; if Sijamhodzic has committed no crime and isn’t inciting people to violence, he hasn’t committed a crime. But if he supports jihad violence, he still isn’t an acceptable choice to become a military imam. It is good that he was fired. But why was he hired?
“Defense minister fires army imam,” translated from “Verteidigungsministerin feuert Bundesheer-Imam,” Kronen Zeitung, October 22, 2020 (thanks to Mason):
Accusations of support for violence prompted Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) on Thursday to immediately separate from the military imam of the federal army, Abdulmedzid Sijamhodzic. He is said to have “publicly spread his sympathy for the former jihad movement in Bosnia,” as it was said in a broadcast by the ministry. “The cooperation is hereby ended with immediate effect until further notice,” said Tanner.
Trigger for the dismissal: According to “Krone’s” information, the imam with Bosnian roots posted Facebook photos with an ex-general of the Yugoslav army who is considered a war criminal and gave “likes” to suspected warriors. Tanner made it clear that comprehensive investigations had been started. If the allegations are confirmed, further measures will follow. Tanner: “I have no sympathy for such behavior and will not tolerate such actions under my leadership.”
Political Islam has no place in the armed forces: “I therefore call on the Islamic Faith Community – in the interests of future good cooperation – to withdraw Imam Sijamhodzic and replace him,” said the minister. The cooperation with the Islamic Faith Community will of course continue.
Previously, the FPÖ defense spokesman, Reinhard Bösch, reported on a broadcast that a military imam was sharing jihadist videos and had contacts with war criminals. This man was employed by the Islamic Faith Community in Austria.