‘Ban it’: Australian senator wears burqa in Parliament; sparks row

Australian far-right Senator Pauline Hanson wore a burqa in Parliament on Monday as part of her renewed push to ban the Muslim garment in public, drawing immediate accusations of racism from Muslim senators, news agency AFP reported.

Hanson entered the Senate chamber wearing the full-body covering shortly after being denied permission to introduce a bill seeking to outlaw burqas and other face-covering attire in public places.

This was the second time Hanson used the garment in Parliament to press for such a ban.

According to AFP, chaos erupted in the Senate as Hanson walked into the chamber wearing the burqa. Proceedings were also suspended after Hanson refused to remove it.

"This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism," said Muslim Mehreen Faruqi, a Greens senator from the state of New South Wales.

Western Australian independent senator Fatima Payman described the stunt as "disgraceful".

In a statement later posted on Facebook, Hanson said her actions were in protest at the Senate's rejection of her proposed bill.

"So if the Parliament won't ban it, I will display this oppressive, radical, non-religious head garb that risk our national security and the ill-treatment of women on the floor of our parliament so that every Australian knows what's at stake," Hanson said in the statement.

“If they don't want me wearing it - ban the burqa.”

According to AFP, Hanson, a senator for Queensland, first rose to prominence in the 1990s because of her strident opposition to immigration from Asia and to asylum seekers, and has long campaigned against Islamic clothing during her parliamentary career.

In 2017, she previously attended parliament wearing a burqa and also advocated for a nationwide ban.

Hanson's One Nation party holds four Senate seats, having gained two in May's general election amid growing support for far-right anti-immigration policies.

Source: Hindustan Times
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