Bilal El-Hayek, the mayor of Canterbury Bankstown and a former One Nation candidate, has criticised Pauline Hanson's recent comments about Muslims, saying they 'will incite someone'. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed they have 'received reports of a crime' in relation to Hanson's remarks, but have not yet stated whether a criminal investigation has been launched.
Hanson, the leader of One Nation, made the comments during a Sky News interview on Monday night, where she questioned the existence of 'good Muslims' while discussing the situation of Australian women and children stuck in Syria. She has not withdrawn the remarks, though she has offered a conditional apology. In subsequent interviews, she singled out Lakemba, a suburb in El-Hayek's council area, as somewhere people 'feel unwanted'.
El-Hayek told the ABC on Friday that hate speech laws are 'quite clear' and that Hanson's target was 'clearly the Muslim people'. He expressed concern that her remarks could lead to violence. The Lakemba mosque, one of Australia's largest, received its third threatening letter in weeks ahead of the first night of Ramadan prayers. NSW police are investigating, and a man has been charged over a previous letter sent in January.
University of Sydney law expert Professor Simon Rice said Hanson could be investigated under NSW laws that criminalise inciting hatred or violence on religious grounds, but noted such offences are 'very difficult to prove'. He also mentioned that civil recourse is possible under federal anti-discrimination laws, referencing Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi's successful racial discrimination case against Hanson.
Hanson responded to the AFP statement on Facebook, accusing Labor and the left of 'gaslighting the Australian public' and warning that Australia could face issues similar to Europe, the UK, and Canada if it does not speak up. Meanwhile, One Nation colleague Barnaby Joyce said he was not aware of the AFP reports and distanced himself from Hanson's remarks, stating 'of course, I think there are Muslims who are very good people'. Federal opposition leader Angus Taylor also disagreed with Hanson's comments.
