Australian far-right senator accused of ‘blatant racism’ after wearing burqa to parliament
Australian senator Pauline Hanson condemned over burqa stunt
- Australian far-right senator Pauline Hanson caused the Senate to be suspended for over an hour after entering the chamber wearing a burqa.
- Ms Hanson, leader of One Nation, refused to remove the Muslim face covering and was subsequently barred from the chamber for the remainder of the day.
- Her actions were widely condemned by senators from all parties, who described the stunt as 'abhorrent and disrespectful'.
- Ms Hanson claimed she wore the burqa to highlight national security risks and the mistreatment of women, despite being unable to cite any specific safety incidents.
- Independent senator Fatima Payman and Islamophobia envoy Aftab Malik criticised the stunt, warning it fuels hostility towards Muslim women and is a bid for relevance.