Amina Carla Baghajati

Carla Amina Baghajati was born in Mainz/Germany in 1966 and lives in Austria since 1987, where she embraced Islam in 1989. She was one of the first two women to enter the Supreme Council of the Islamic Religious Authority in Austria (IGGÖ) in 2000.

As media representative she engaged in public discourse entering many discussions with the aim to bridge the gap between Muslim self perception and outside views, creating better mutual understanding and social cohesion.

Now she works as superintendent for Islamic religious education at public schools and head of the school supervisory authority of the IGGÖ. Baghajati is also co-founder of the “Austrian Muslim Initiative”.

Successful projects include the nationwide “Open Mosque Days” and the European Imam Conferences. Baghajati is a founding member of the interreligious association “Platform Christians and Muslims”.

In her book “Muslimin sein - 25 Fragen, 25 Antworten” (Being a Muslim - 25 Questions, 25 Answers) and other publications, she advocates an understanding of Islam that demonstrates compatibility with democracy, the rule of law, human rights and pluralism.

She initiated the “Vienna Declaration of Muslim Women” in 2018. In 2008, Baghajati received the Federal Cross of Merit from the Federal Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture.