Tarafa Baghajati facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tarafa Baghajati
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| طرفة بغجاتي | |
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| Born | September 1, 1961 |
| Nationality | Syrian |
Tarafa Baghajati was born on September 1, 1961. He is an important activist and writer from Syria who now lives in Austria. He helped start a group called "Initiative muslimischer ÖsterreicherInnen" (IMÖ). This group works to support Muslims in Austria. Tarafa Baghajati has lived in Vienna, Austria since 1986.
Contents
About Tarafa Baghajati
His Early Life
Tarafa Baghajati was born in Damascus, Syria. His father, Adnan Baghajati, was an author and a former education minister in Syria. His mother, Amal Homsi, was a journalist who wrote about money and business.
In 1984, when Tarafa was a young man, the Syrian government held him for over eight months. He spent three of these months in a place called Tadmor Prison. This happened because of his political ideas.
Starting Important Groups
In 1999, Tarafa Baghajati helped create the "Initiative muslimischer ÖsterreicherInnen" (IMÖ). This group works to support and represent Muslims in Austria. He started it with his wife, Carla Amina Baghajati, and other members of the Muslim community in Austria.
Tarafa Baghajati has also been a leader in other important groups. From 2001 to 2007, he was on the board of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR). He even served as its Vice-President for some of those years. He is also part of the Platform for Intercultural Europe (PIE).
He is one of the people who founded the European Muslim Initiative for Social Cohesion (EMISCO). He is also on the board of this group.
Working for Change
Supporting Muslims in Europe
Since moving to Austria in 1986, Tarafa Baghajati has worked hard on many important topics. He speaks about immigration, fighting racism, and protecting human rights. He also talks about political issues in the Middle East, especially in his home country of Syria.
He is very active in discussions about Islam and Muslims in Austria and Europe. For example, he supports Muslim women's rights, including their right to wear a headscarf. He also works against Islamophobia, which is a fear or dislike of Islam or Muslims. He tries to fight this prejudice by working for legal recognition for Muslims.
In 2015, he spoke about his worries about the increase of Islamophobia in Europe. He also asked the Muslim community to get more involved in European politics.
Speaking Out Against Hate Speech
In 2015, a politician named Geert Wilders gave a speech in Vienna. In this speech, he compared the Qur'an, which is the holy book of Islam, to a book called Mein Kampf. Tarafa Baghajati believed this was hate speech. He made a legal complaint, saying that Wilders was suggesting the Qur'an supports terrorism and was insulting religious teachings. This led to an investigation by Vienna's prosecutors.
Views on the Syrian Conflict
Since the conflict in Syria began in 2011, Tarafa Baghajati has written many articles about the situation. He often publishes his thoughts in newspapers like Al-Hayat and Al-Quds Al-Arabi.
Tarafa Baghajati does not support the government of Bashar al-Assad. He wants to see a Syria where many different groups and ideas can exist peacefully. He warns about the tensions between different religious groups in Syria and other Islamic countries, especially between Sunni and Shia Muslims.
In 2014, Tarafa Baghajati clearly stated that he is against European Muslims traveling to Syria to fight in the conflict.
Education and Achievements
His Education
Tarafa Baghajati studied to become a civil engineer. He graduated from the Polytechnic University of Timișoara in 1986.
Awards and Recognition
The Muslim Austrian Initiative (IMOE), the group Tarafa Baghajati helped found, won a democracy award in 2008. This award was given by the Margaretha Lupac Stiftung.
Personal Life
Tarafa Baghajati married Carla Amina Baghajati in 1990. They have four children together.
