Australian Senate Suspended Over Burqa Stunt
The Australian Senate was thrown into disarray on Monday after far-right senator Pauline Hanson entered the chamber wearing a burqa, an act condemned by colleagues as 'abhorrent and disrespectful'. The One Nation leader, who has long campaigned for a national ban on the garment, triggered a procedural dispute that forced Senate president Sue Lines to suspend proceedings for over an hour.
Refusal to Leave and Widespread Condemnation
Senator Hanson repeatedly refused to remove the Muslim face covering, leading to her being barred from the chamber for the remainder of the day. The suspension of the Senate is an uncommon measure, used only rarely. The chamber eventually reconvened at about 5.50pm without Hanson present, delaying the final sitting week of the year.
On social media, Hanson defended her actions, claiming she wore the burka to highlight what she described as security risks and the mistreatment of women. She accused her colleagues of hypocrisy for preventing her from putting forward her bill to ban the garment. However, Hanson was unable to name a single safety incident linked to the burqa.
Colleagues Decry 'Blatant Racism'
The stunt was met with immediate and widespread condemnation from across the political spectrum. Independent senator Fatima Payman, the first woman in Australia's federal parliament to wear a hijab, described Hanson's actions as 'abhorrent and disrespectful to the chamber and the public'.
Mehreen Faruqi, a Muslim senator from New South Wales, was more direct, stating, 'This is a racist senator, displaying blatant racism.' The incident was a repeat of a similar protest Hanson staged in 2017.
Islamophobia envoy Aftab Malik expressed concern that Hanson's argument about national security threats was 'frustrating' and risked fuelling hostility toward Muslim women. He warned that such actions deepen existing safety risks for Australian Muslim women, who already face harassment and violence based on their clothing.
