“Basic Knowledge for Women” – the book in question, sold at a Turkish cultural fair, promotes anti-Semitic, anti-state and anti-integration views, and presents women’s roles as subordinate. Its contents have alarmed readers and prompted an official investigation.

While the Islamic Federation (AIF) was preparing to host its 18th Turkish Cultural Fair in late May and early June at the Dornbirn Exhibition Centre, local politicians in Vorarlberg adopted a noticeably reserved stance. Markus Fasler, the SPÖ mayor, Barbara Röser, an ÖVP city councillor, and Christoph Thoma, executive director of the Business Association, did not shy away from attending the event—even though some performers included Turkish Israel-haters, one of whom publicly prayed for Israel’s destruction after the Hamas attack in October 2023. The mayor later posted on Facebook, calling for greater understanding between cultures.

That understanding took on a very different meaning for one local woman from Vorarlberg, who also attended the fair and purchased a book from the stand of Tugra Kitabevi, a bookstore based in Duisburg. The book was titled “Basic Knowledge for Women – According to the Hanafi Teachings”, and it promised to provide foundational knowledge about Islam.

But reading the 524-page text — based on the teachings of the oldest Sunni school of Islamic law — was a cultural shock for Austrian readers. The Turkish author, Rauf Pehlivan, outlines a worldview that is fundamentally incompatible with Western values—and likely would not accept Austrian norms and customs either.

Dieses frauen-, juden-, staats-, und integrationsfeindliche Buch ist ein Bestseller: „Grundwissen für Frauen”. Nachdem es bei einer Türken-Messe in Dornbirn verkauft worden war, wird nun der Verfassungsschutz aktiv. Aber nicht der österreichische… https://t.co/xiYeXL5ts3

— exxpress (@exxpressat) July 25, 2025

The opening pages already launch criticism at European Christian societies, suggesting that gender equality has “led to the neglect of duties that form the basis for humanity’s survival,” as the book puts it.

According to the author, hundreds of thousands of women and girls now refuse marriage — not because they wish to become nuns, he claims, but “because they want to give free rein to their sexual desires.” Several hundred pages later, he predicts a historical repeat of ancient civilisational decline, saying:

“The Greek and Roman civilisations began to collapse because of this, and today Europe faces the same dangers.”

The book contains a number of absurd, disturbing, and in some cases potentially criminal views, many of which the author justifies on the basis of theology — specifically, references to Quranic surahs and hadiths. As it is targeted at women, the book focuses heavily on the rights and duties of women, citing the Quran to state:

“Women have rights similar to those of men, in accordance with justice. But men have a degree of advantage over them.”

This mindset appears throughout the text. For instance, Islamic law considers the testimony of one man to be equal to that of two women. This, the book claims, is “not related to a woman’s value or humanity, but to forgetfulness, confusion, and misinterpretation.”

The core values presented in the book also speak disparagingly about female biology, linking it to women’s general reliability.

“A woman is half sick every month due to menstruation, she goes through pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum recovery and all kinds of physical changes. That’s why Islam says: ‘A woman may forget something, and therefore she needs assistance when giving testimony.’”

“Because women do not pray during menstruation, while men pray throughout the year, a woman is considered incomplete compared to a man,”

– the book says. This hierarchy, the text asserts, also applies to romantic relationships, as described on page 472 in a section on “refusing sexual intercourse”:

“If a woman fasts voluntarily without her husband’s permission, and therefore fails to fulfil his desires, Allah will punish her for three sins.”

Sex First, Then Cooking

The message on mandatory sexual availability is stated even more bluntly:

„If a woman is called to intercourse and she is cooking at the stove, she must obey her husband’s call.” “If a man invites his wife to bed, and she refuses without giving a reason, and he goes to sleep with a broken heart, the angels curse her until morning.”

According to Hanafi teachings, a wife may even be a child, because:

“Puberty is not a requirement for the validity of a nikah (marriage).”

Consent is also not needed from the girl herself: “A marriage arranged by a wali (guardian) or his representative is also valid.”

The book also outlines strict rules for the female dress, stating that if it

• a) covers the entire body (except hands and face);
• b) is not tight or transparent;
• c) does not resemble male clothing or garments worn by non-Muslims;
• d) and does not display jewellery,”

then it qualifies as an „Islamic garment.”

Even undergarments are regulated: women are forbidden from wearing push-up bras or any clothing that accentuates their breasts in the presence of strangers. Tights may only be worn during prayer if “they are thick enough not to reveal skin colour.” The book also cautions women about their voice: “If a woman’s voice is seductive, melodic, pleasant, delicate, and thus causes temptation, it is forbidden for her to speak in that manner.”

Separate Chapter on Beating Women

A separate chapter, titled “Beating a Woman,” provides Muslim brides with “basic knowledge” on taming disobedient wives. On page 522, the sensitive topic is introduced gently: “Islam first commanded the man to be kind and warm-hearted with his wife. The claim that Islam permits the beating of women without cause is unfounded.”

Still, the book quotes scripture to justify physical punishment: “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them superior to the other, and because they spend out of their wealth. As for those women from whom you fear disobedience — admonish them, avoid them in bed, and beat them.”

@start.with.bismil2 Grundwissen für Frauen ( Islam ☪️) #raufpehlivan #amazon ♬ Flowers – SoundAudio