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Rabat – One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has caused a major controversy in Australia’s Senate after walking into the chamber on Monday mockingly wearing a burqa. The unexpected move shocked many senators and forced the session to be temporarily suspended.
Earlier in the day, Senator Hanson had tried to introduce a bill to ban the burqa and other Muslim facial and head coverings in public places. However, the Senate did not allow the bill to be debated or voted on. Soon afterward, she left the chamber, returned wearing the full garment, and said she did it to make a point.
Her action angered many politicians. Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the stunt was “disrespectful,” adding that senators represent people of all faiths and should behave with dignity, Sky News reported.
Greens leader Larissa Waters also condemned Hanson’s behaviour, saying it was “not a genuine demonstration of faith” and calling it “racist and unsafe.” Senator Fatima Payman, who is Muslim, said Hanson’s act was disrespecting an entire religion and should be dealt with immediately.
Speaking to Sky News, Hanson defended her decision, saying she was motivated by “national security” and concerns about women being forced to wear the burqa. She argued that the garment goes against Australian culture and said she wore it in Parliament because her bill was blocked.
“They didn’t want me to wear the burqa in Parliament. They don’t want to ban it, but they don’t want me to wear it in Parliament, so what do they want? They’re a bunch of hypocrites,” she said.
Hanson also posted a photo of herself wearing the burqa on social media, claiming Parliament had refused to even consider her proposal. She pointed out that some other countries, including a number of Muslim-majority nations, have bans on face coverings.
This is not the first time Hanson has brought the issue into Parliament. She also wore a burqa in the Senate in 2017, a move that was strongly criticized at the time by then-Attorney-General George Brandis, who told her there would be no national ban.
