Australian Far-Right Politician Condemned for Wearing Burqa in Parliament Protest

Fellow senators expressed outrage over her controversial display.

An Australian far-right politician created a significant uproar on Monday by appearing in the country's parliament wearing a burqa, an action that fellow lawmakers condemned as "racist."

Pauline Hanson, representing the anti-immigration One Nation party, was attempting to introduce legislation in the Senate that would prohibit full face coverings throughout Australia—a policy she has advocated for over many years.

Shortly after other senators blocked her attempt to introduce the bill, she returned to the chamber dressed in a black burqa and took her seat.

Her action immediately provoked strong condemnation from other senators.

Larissa Waters, the Australian Greens leader in the Senate, described the gesture as "the middle finger to people of faith."

Waters further stated, "It is extremely racist and unsafe."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who also serves as the government's Senate leader, labeled the act as "disrespectful."

"All of us in this place have a great privilege in coming into this chamber," Wong remarked.

"We represent in our states, people of every faith, of every faith, of all backgrounds. And we should do so decently."

Hanson refused to remove the burqa, resulting in the suspension of the Senate session.

This marks the second time she has worn Muslim religious attire in parliament.

In 2017, Hanson appeared in the Senate wearing a full burqa, claiming she wanted to highlight security concerns associated with the garment, linking it to terrorism.

Hanson has previously stated that Islam is "a culture and ideology that is incompatible with our own."

Her party has gained increasing support as Australia's main conservative opposition faces continued internal disputes. A recent poll reported by The Australian Financial Review shows One Nation with unprecedented 18 percent support.

This incident occurs against the backdrop of a government envoy's September statement that Australia has failed to address persistent and intensifying Islamophobia.