Unusual Call in Australia Sparks Debate Over Burqa Ban
Australian right-wing politician and One Nation party leader Pauline Hanson has sparked controversy across the country after entering parliament wearing a burqa. On Monday (November 24), she was stopped by other lawmakers as she tried to introduce a bill to ban face-covering burqas in the Senate. She then returned to parliament wearing a black burqa and took her seat.
CBS News reported that Pauline Hanson’s behavior caused a strong reaction among other lawmakers present in parliament. Australian Greens Senate leader Larissa Waters described the incident as “a display of hatred towards religious people.” She described it as “extremely racist.”
Senate leader and Foreign Minister Penny Wong of the government party condemned it as “deeply disrespectful.” She said, “We represent people of all faiths and backgrounds in this chamber, regardless of what state we come from. “So it is our duty to behave responsibly and decently.”
However, Pauline Hanson refused to remove the burqa. As a result, the Senate was suspended. This was the second time that Pauline has worn a burqa in parliament. She had previously done so in 2017, alleging security problems and the burqa’s link to terrorism.
In a later statement published on Facebook, Hanson said that she had done so to protest against the Senate’s rejection of her proposed bill. “If Parliament does not ban the burqa, then I will wear this repressive and security-risk garment myself to show everyone how important this is. If they do not want to see me wearing it – then let them ban the burqa.”
Hanson has long taken a hard line against Islam and Muslims. In 2016, she claimed that Australia was being “flooded with Muslims” and described Islam as an ideology incompatible with Australian culture.
A recent poll showed that One Nation’s support has risen to 18 percent as Australia’s main conservative opposition party grapples with internal strife. Meanwhile, a government envoy said in September that Australia has long failed to tackle rising Islamophobia.
