Suddenly gone! Mechanisms of exclusion from mosques during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

This article examines the consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak for Muslim communities in Austria. It looks at how the Islamic Faith Community has responded to the pandemic and how community life has been affected by it. Muslim women are a pillar of the community but during the pandemic they receded into increased invisibility. Based on this observation, the article focuses on the role Muslim women play in community life in particular and sets out to determine the extent to which a gender gap has emerged during the pandemic. Finally, the question will be discussed whether the experiences of the pandemic can offer an opportunity to make Muslim community life more inclusive.