It is sad to see that even colleagues from academia cannot refrain from sharing videos and rumors related to the incident in #Vienna despite repeated requests by the Austrian police not to do so. Really don't understand the purpose.
As researchers we should provide analysis based on verified information and empirical evidence and not act irresponsible by risking other people's lives.
Sorry guys but this makes me really angry. Sitting in your home office watching and reposting videos and describing them as "shocking" and the "significant volume of blood" in them is neither research, an analysis nor intellectual feat but pure sensationalism.
For now my thoughts are with those people who lost their life tonight or someone they loved 😔
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Since many were surprised about a terrorist attack taking place in Austria I will provide a (very) brief history of Jihadi activities in the country and try to contextualize what we know about the Vienna attack and its perpetrator so far.
A thread:
1) Surprisingly, Austria received until now little attention from researchers and analysts despite the country's long history as a hub for Jihadi activities and having one of the highest numbers of foreign fighters per capita in Europe (comparable to Belgium).
2) Already during the 1990s, Vienna served as an important logistic hub for the channeling of fighters, funds, and equipment to the foreign mujahideen in Bosnia. After the war, Bosnian Salafis in Austria played a crucial role in establishing Salafi enclaves like Gornja Maoca.