The Australian senate was forced to suspend its session on Monday after right-wing Senator Pauline Hanson strode in shrouded in a burqa with a niqab hiding her face.
The senator’s attempt to introduce a bill banning the garment was rejected. She was censured for the act. She was also suspended for the rest of the day. This was the second time she wore a burqa to parliament after trying the exact same thing in 2017.
The incident sparked an uproar in the chamber, with Senators Mehreen Faruqi and Fatima Payman leading condemnation of Hanson’s stunt. Faruqi had earlier won a discrimination suit against Hanson. She said it was “displaying blatant racism.” Payman called it “disgraceful”.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Hanson was “not worthy [to be] a member of the Australian senate”.
While her colleagues let Hanson off with a suspension, the internet was having none of her nonsense. Users quickly took to X to assail the senator for disrespecting the beliefs of nearly two billion people.
Australians on the platform wondered how someone like Hanson has been able to keep her seat in the national legislature. They were also curious about why she maintains her position.
A netizen asked a question. Why did politicians, in tough times, try to make scapegoats out of minorities? They should work to address actual issues. Another said this was no way to go about a discussion.
Some chose to approach the situation with a hint of humour. One person asked the government to banish the senator to one of the country’s remote islands.
Another senator was caught in the frame. Her burqa-clad colleague marched into the chamber. She became the embodiment of a national sense of second-hand embarrassment. One user called for Hanson to be banned instead of the burqa.
Politics can be inherently theatrical at times. Hanson’s actions were plainly offensive. We’re glad there was pushback from both her colleagues and the general public.
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