SYDNEY: A far-right Australian lawmaker sparked widespread condemnation on Monday after appearing in the national parliament wearing a burqa, a move fellow legislators denounced as offensive and “racist.”
Pauline Hanson, leader of the anti-immigration One Nation party, staged the display shortly after the Senate blocked her attempt to introduce legislation that would ban full face coverings in Australia — a proposal she has promoted for decades.
Greens Senate leader Larissa Waters described the act as “a middle finger to people of faith,” calling it “extremely racist and unsafe.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who also leads the government in the Senate, condemned the stunt as “disrespectful.”
“All of us here have the privilege of serving diverse communities,” Wong said. “We represent people of every faith and background, and we should do so with decency.”
Hanson refused to remove the garment, leading to a suspension of the Senate session. This marks the second time she has worn a burqa in parliament.
The incident comes amid warnings from a government envoy in September that Australia has failed to adequately address growing and persistent Islamophobia.
No comments:
Post a Comment