Australian Senator Suspended Until 2025 After Wearing Burqa in Parliament Protest

Australian Senator Pauline Hanson has been suspended from Parliament until next year following her controversial burqa protest. The 71-year-old leader of the One Nation party entered the Senate chamber wearing the full Muslim garment on Monday, sparking immediate backlash from her colleagues.

Hanson, known for her anti-Muslim and anti-immigration stance, wore the burqa to protest against fellow senators' rejection of her proposed legislation that would prohibit full-face coverings in Australian public spaces. Initially suspended for one day, the Senate subsequently passed a censure motion on Tuesday that barred her from participating in seven consecutive Senate sitting days.

As Parliament concludes its annual session this Thursday, Hanson's suspension will extend into February when legislative activities resume. When speaking to reporters afterward, Hanson defended her actions, calling her colleagues "hypocritical" for denying her right to wear the garment while simultaneously refusing to ban it, noting there is no formal dress code in Parliament.

This incident mirrors a similar controversy from 2017 when Hanson first wore a burqa in the Senate, though she faced no formal punishment at that time. She recently appeared at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Florida earlier this month.

Senator Penny Wong, the Malaysian-born government leader in the Senate, introduced the censure motion, condemning Hanson for "mocking and vilifying an entire faith" practiced by approximately one million Australians. Wong argued that such "hateful and shallow pageantry tears at our social fabric" and weakens the nation.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi, born in Pakistan, noted that she and Afghanistan-born Senator Fatima Payman are currently the only Muslims in the Senate. Faruqi expressed hope that the censure would mark "the start of actually dealing with structural and systemic racism that pervades this country."

Payman, who wears a hijab, previously described Hanson's burqa display as "disgraceful" and "a shame." The tension between the senators follows a recent legal ruling where a judge determined Hanson had violated racial anti-discrimination laws by telling Faruqi to return to her homeland in a social media post—a decision Hanson is currently appealing.

Rateb Jneid, president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, condemned Hanson's actions as "part of a pattern of behaviour that has repeatedly vilified Muslims, migrants and minorities."

Hanson has maintained controversial views on race since her first parliamentary speech in 1996, when she claimed Australia was "in danger of being swamped by Asians" due to its non-discriminatory immigration policy.