Heinz Gstrein

Heinz Gstrein (born December 6, 1941 in Innsbruck ) is an Austrian-Swiss orientalist , Orthodox theologian, foreign correspondent and non-fiction author.

Life

Gstrein studied Oriental Studies , Slavonic Studies and Theology in Innsbruck , Istanbul , Vienna and Paris . He received his doctorate phil. For many years he was a foreign correspondent in the Middle East, the Balkans and Eastern Europe, reporting for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) and the Swiss radio DRS . This was followed by academic activities in Zurich and Vienna. He was also the deputy director of the G2W Glaube in der 2. Welt institute in Zurich. At the university course (ULG) Balkan Studies at the University of Vienna , he was a lecturer for Ottoman history , culture, religion and Islamic law. He was President of the Working Group of Orthodox Churches in Switzerland (AGOK) and stood up for the Christians who live in Islamic countries and who are oppressed and persecuted. He also described the situation of Syrian Christians in the civil war.

Political engagement in the Swiss minaret dispute

In the run-up to the referendum on the minaret initiative in Switzerland in 2009, he was involved in the supporters' camp. He wanted to draw attention to what he believed to have been increasing Islamization since the 1970s, which began in Egypt, Algeria and Iran. The public effects of Islam's claim to rule have now also reached Switzerland, which is why he advocated and supported the minaret initiative in order to set an example against “political Islamization”. The minaret is usually a symbol of victory and visibility for Islam. In addition, many Islamic states did not or no longer had reciprocal rights when building and restoring Christian churches.

In 2010 he wrote an expert opinion on the unconstitutionality and particular danger of the Organization of the Islamic Central Council of Switzerland (IZRS). In it he called for their ban because they were not compatible with Swiss legal norms.

Opponents of the initiative and daily newspapers such as the Basler Zeitung tried to disqualify him professionally and thus discredit him. Gstrein was able to rehabilitate himself for the most part and also continue his teaching activities as a lecturer for Balkan studies at the University of Vienna .

Private

Gstrein is married and lives in Erlenbach on Lake Zurich .

Works

As an author

• Unedited texts on the history of the Byzantine Easter Sermon , Vienna 1968, OCLC 61751768 (doctoral dissertation at the University of Vienna 1968, 1 microfilm reel, 35 mm).
• For example Greece (= dispute , volume 4). Delp, Munich 1969, OCLC 621425 .
• Progress without class struggle. Arab socialism. Imba, Friborg / Laetare-Verlag, Stein (Nuremberg) 1972, ISBN 3-85740-024-2 (Imba) / ISBN 3-7839-0039-5 (Laetare).
• People without a lawyer. The Kurdish question in the Middle East. Laetare, Imba 1974, ISBN 978-3-85740-046-9 .
  • Avukatsiz Halk Kürtler. Parsomen 2009. ISBN 978-605-5935-85-6 (Turkish translation).
• I spare no effort. Emil Grouard, Apostle of Athabasca (Canada). St. Gabriel, Steyler Verlag , Mödling 1977, ISBN 978-3-85264-107-2 .
  • • Nie szczedzil trudu , Verbinum, Warszawa 1994, ISBN 83-85762-29-9 , Polish.
• Among human traffickers in Sudan. Daniele Comboni . A savior to the slaves. St. Gabriel, Mödling / Steyler, St. Augustin 1978, ISBN 978-3-85264-119-5 .
• The saint from the cannon. Jean Le Vacher, Christian slave in Tunis and Algiers. St. Gabriel, Mödling / Steyler, St. Augustin 1980, ISBN 978-3-85264-144-7 .
• All mean the one God. Readings from the holy books of the world religions. Herder Verlag , Freiburg im Breisgau 1981 and 1988, ISBN 978-3-210-24609-3 .
• The caravan cardinal. St. Gabriel, Mödling / Steyler, St. Augustin 1982, ISBN 978-3-85264-202-4 .
• The unspeakable luck. Prayers and hymns from the Golden Temple. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1983 and 1986, ISBN 978-3-210-24734-2 .
• Marx or Mohammed ? Arab socialism and Islamic renewal. Ploetz Verlag , Freiburg im Breisgau 1983, ISBN 978-3-87640-179-9 .
• 300 lashes for the bishop. Güregh Zohrabian 1881–1972, Armenian Catholic Capuchin missionary (= missionaries who made history ), St. Gabriel, Mödling / Steyler, St. Augustin 1984, ISBN 978-3-85264-212-3 .
• Islamic Sufi Meditation for Christians, Herder, Freiburg im Bresgau 1984, ISBN 978-3-210-24545-4 .
• Jewish Vienna. Herold-Verlag , Vienna-Munich 1984, ISBN 978-3-7008-0264-8 .
• Peace to all worlds. Jewish wisdom. From Zohar , the book of shine. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau 1985, ISBN 978-3-210-24758-8 .
• Cyril and Method. St. Gabriel, Mödling 1985, ISBN 978-3-85264-247-5 .
• Albania . Walter Verlag , Olten 1989, ISBN 978-3-451-22701-1 .
• Angel work or devil power? Background to a gray area of ​​church activities: New salvation or inner church sect. Edition Tau, Mattersburg / Bad Sauerbrunn 1990, ISBN 3-900977-07-0 .
• Malta , with Gozo and Comino (= Walter travel guide ). Walter, Olten 1988, ISBN 3-530-29601-5 ; 2nd edition, Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau a. a. 1992, ISBN 978-3-451-22758-5 .
• Grace, cross and victory. Mother Gabriele Bitterlich . Live and act. Mediatrix, St. Andrä WIERT / Altötting 1992, ISBN 978-3-85406-138-0 .
• Journalist Thoughts - Conflicts of Our Time. Edition Sckell, Bregenz 2011, ISBN 978-3-9503194-1-5 .

As co-editor

• with Martyn Thomas (ed. in chief), Paul Meinrad Strässle, Adly A. Youssef: Copts in Egypt - A Christian Minority under Siege, papers presented at The First International Coptic Symposium, 23-25. September 2004 in Zurich. G2W, Zurich / Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht , Göttingen 2006, ISBN 978-3-85710-040-6 (G2W) / ISBN 978-3-525-54102-9 (V&R).

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Conference program of the Evangelical People's Party on January 24, 2009, viewed on November 30, 2015
2. ^ Heinz Gstrein: Murder, Pogrom, Crucifixion. September 30, 2014
3. ↑ Heinz Gstrein: The reorganization of the Middle East. Islamic influence and geopolitical interests after 9/11 and the “Arab Spring”. Lecture held on April 11, 2012 in the Vienna Academic Association, on its website.
4. ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of December 8, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
5. ↑ Heinz Gstrein: Islam is decomposed - and it prevails. Livenet October 15, 2009.
6. ↑ Heinz Gstrein: You have to start somewhere to stop political Islamization. Livenet October 15, 2009.
7. ^ Daniel Gerber: Heinz Gstrein rehabilitated. Livenet March 16, 2010.
8. ↑ Anti-Islamization group wants to "educate" about Islamization with 60,000 brochures , article in the Aargauer Zeitung of May 8, 2010.