Her seat in a burka
The anti Muslim senator who took
A fAr-right politician caused outrage after turning up to a senate session in a burka.
Pauline Hanson, the leader of Australia’s right-wing One Nation party, carried out the controversial stunt as she called for the government to ban the burka.
It comes after she previously claimed that women who wore burkas scared Australians because no one knew who was actually under the garment.
The 63-year-old walked into the senate chamber wearing the full length black veil that totally obscured her appearance, much to the surprise of her fellow senators. After sitting down, Miss Hanson – whose views on Asian and Muslim immigration have already caused widespread controversy – dramatically removed the veil to reveal herself.
She then asked attorney-general George Brandis if the government would join her in banning the burka.
Her stunt provoked anger, with Mr Brandis telling her: ‘Senator Hanson, no, we will not be banning the burka...I would caution and counsel you, with respect, to be very, very careful of the offence you may do to the religious sensibilities of other Australians.’
Miss Hanson, a senator for Queensland, later told Sydney 2GB radio that security guards had not asked to see her face as she walked to the chamber from her office. ‘I met two security guards,’ she said. ‘No one...at any point of time asked to see my face.’ She said wearing the burka was a ‘horrible feeling’.
Adel Salman, vice president of the Islamic Council of Victoria state, said Miss Hanson’s burka stunt was ‘a mockery of her position – but not surprising as she has sought to mock the Islamic faith time and time again’.