Canberra (HRNW)– Australian far-right politician Pauline Hanson, campaigning for a ban on Muslim women’s clothing, has been suspended for a week for wearing a burqa in Parliament.
According to the BBC, Senator Hanson, of the One Nation party, entered the Senate wearing a full burqa to introduce her bill banning face-covering clothing in public places. Other senators strongly criticized her actions. Muslim Greens Senator Mehreen Farooqui called the move “racist,” while Independent Senator Fatima Paiman described it as “shameful” and disrespectful to Australia’s Muslim citizens.
Last year, the Federal Court ruled that Hanson had racially discriminated against Mehreen Farooqui, a decision she is appealing. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister and Government Leader Penny Wong introduced a resolution of formal censure against Hanson, which passed 55 votes to 5, stating her actions were intended to target and mock people based on religion.
Hanson responded on Facebook, asserting that if the government prevents her from wearing the burqa in Parliament, it should be banned nationwide. She had previously worn the burqa in Parliament in 2017 while calling for a national ban.
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