Australian far-right Senator Pauline Hanson caused uproar in Parliament on Monday after she entered the Senate wearing a full burqa, renewing her call for a public ban on the Muslim garment, reported various media. The act immediately drew criticism from Muslim senators, who called the move racist and provocative.
Senate erupts as Hanson walks in wearing burqa
Hanson entered the chamber dressed in the full-body covering shortly after she was denied permission to introduce a bill to ban burqas and other face-covering clothing in public. This marks the second time she has worn a burqa in Parliament to support her campaign for a national ban. According to reports, her appearance triggered chaos inside the Senate. Proceedings were halted when she refused to remove the covering.
Muslim senator Mehreen Faruqi strongly condemned the act, saying, "This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism." Independent senator Fatima Payman also denounced the move, calling it “disgraceful.”
Hanson says she was protesting bill rejection
Hanson later posted a statement on Facebook explaining her reasons. She said the burqa was meant as a protest after the Senate refused to consider her proposal to outlaw the garment.
Her statement read, "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."
She added, "If they don't want me wearing it – ban the burqa." Hanson, who represents Queensland, gained prominence in the 1990s through her strong opposition to immigration and asylum seekers. Throughout her political career, she has repeatedly pushed for restrictions on Islamic clothing.
In 2017, she wore a burqa in the Senate during a similar attempt to argue for a nationwide ban. Her party, One Nation, currently holds four Senate seats, after gaining two more in May’s general election amid rising support for far-right, anti-immigration platforms.
