Australian far-right senator Pauline Hanson sparked fury on Monday after entering the Senate chamber in a burqa, halting parliamentary business for more than an hour and drawing accusations of “blatant racism.”
The One Nation leader arrived on the Senate floor fully veiled after being refused permission to introduce a bill that would ban burqas and other face coverings in public. President Sue Lines suspended proceedings when Hanson refused to remove the garment or leave the chamber.
This is the second time Hanson has worn a burqa in the Senate, repeating a 2017 stunt staged during an earlier push for a national ban. Afterwards, the 71-year-old took to social media, claiming she wanted to highlight the mistreatment of women.
“The fact is more than 20 countries around the world have banned the Burqa because they recognize it as a tool that oppresses women, poses a national security risk, encourages radical Islam and threatens social cohesion,” she wrote. “If these hypocrites don’t want me to wear a burqa, they can always support my ban.”
Muslim senators immediately condemned the stunt, with Islamophobia envoy Aftab Malik warning it endangers Arab women in public, who already face harassment and threats. Fatima Payman, the first hijab-wearing woman in Australia’s federal parliament, called the display “abhorrent and disrespectful” while New South Wales senator Mehreen Faruqi denounced it as “blatant racism and Islamophobia.”
Hanson has a long record of inflammatory statements. She has previously denied clear definitions of Aboriginal identity, warned Australia was being “swamped by Asians,” and built much of her political profile around opposing Muslim immigration and Islamic dress.
Riding a surge in far-right, anti-immigration sentiment, her party expanded to four Senate seats in May. A review by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism placed One Nation on Australia’s hate-group list for its anti-multicultural stance, white-nationalist leanings, and Covid-19 conspiracy narratives.
Source link
