CANBERRA, Aug 17 (TNS): Australian senator and leader of the right-wing One Nation party, Pauline Hanson, wore the burqa to the Senate chamber for the daily questioning time session on Thursday, media reported
According to the daily, Hanson’s move — meant to push for a ban on the burqa — caused commotion in the chamber and drew strong criticism from Australian attorney general George Brandis who issued a warning that the action may be offensive to the “religious sensibilities of other Australians”.
“Senator Hanson, I’m not going to pretend to ignore the stunt that you have tried to pull today by arriving in the chamber dressed in a burqa when we all know you are not an adherent of the Islamic faith,” said Brandis in a video.
“To ridicule that community, to drive it into a corner, to mock its religious garments, is an appalling thing to do and I would ask you to reflect on your behavior.”
“We have about half a million Australians in this country of the Islamic faith, and the vast majority of them are law abiding, good Australians, and Senator Hanson, it [burqa] is absolutely consistent with being a good law abiding Australian and a strict, adherent, Muslim,” Brandis was quoted as saying.
The attorney general made clear to the right-wing leader that there is no intention of banning the burqa as his remarks drew applause from those present in the chamber.
Hanson was called a “threat to national security” and a “disgrace” by Senator Sam Dastyari who is a non-practicing Muslim of Iranian heritage.
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