Amnesty International Australia condemns the stunt carried out by Senator Pauline Hanson on Monday 24th November. Senator Hanson, who is not Muslim, wore a Burqa into the Senate after she was not given leave to move legislation to ban the religious garment in Australia.
Senator Hanson’s stunt and the legislation that accompanied it is offensive to many in the Muslim community and amounted to Islamophobia. Politicians and other community leaders should refrain from engaging in actions that perpetuate harmful stereotypes or fuel hatred toward already targeted communities.
Actions of this nature, especially by high-profile elected representatives, fuel hostility and violence towards targeted communities and must be unequivocally rejected. Senator Hanson’s longstanding pattern of such inflammatory behaviour cannot and should not be tolerated.
We call on the Government to take a strengthened, unequivocal stance against acts of racism at all levels and to support meaningful anti-racism initiatives nationwide.
Senator Hanson’s offensive stunt comes at a time of escalating violence against Muslim communities, including racist anti-Arab graffiti in Sydney; the placement of a homemade bomb outside a Sydney home displaying the Palestinian flag; the burning of a truck bearing the Palestinian flag in Melbourne. These forms of racism are reinforced when political leaders participate in perpetuated hate.
These recent incidents highlight the urgent need for the Australian Government to adopt a unified approach to supporting and implementing anti-racism initiatives, including education and community dialogue to combat prejudice and promote understanding.
We call on the Government to take a strengthened, unequivocal stance against acts of racism at all levels and to support meaningful anti-racism initiatives nationwide.
We welcome Senator Hanson’s suspension from the Senate and urge the Government to continue applying appropriate consequences for future conduct of this nature.
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