One Nation leader Pauline Hanson drew significant criticism on 24 November, when she entered the Australian Senate wearing a burka as part of a protest against the Senate declining to consider her proposed bill to ban full face coverings in public. In the aftermath, it was voted that she be suspended for a week for her “blatant racism”. 

 

Originally, she was banned from the Senate for the remainder of the day on the 24th. However, in the absence of an apology for her stunt, a motion was passed deciding that she be suspended for the remainder of the week. This motion was carried with 55 in favour and 5 against.

Foreign Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate Penny Wong has commented on Hanson’s actions, arguing that she had “mocked and vilified an entire faith”, and claimed that she “has been parading prejudice as protest for decades“

“mocked and vilified an entire faith”

Hanson has a documented history of making numerous controversial anti-Muslim comments and engaging in actions that many have condemned as Islamophobic. 

In 1996, she delivered a speech to the House of Representatives where she raised her concerns about Australia being in danger of being “swamped by Asians”. And, 20 years later, she voiced similar concerns about Australia being “swamped by Muslims” and called for an inquiry into Islam. She insisted that no new mosques should be allowed to be built, and those that do exist should be under increased surveillance. 

Additionally, last year Mehreen Faruqi appealed to the Australian Federal Court on the basis that Hanson was racially discriminating against her. 

On 9 September 2022, after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Faruqi posted on X, then Twitter, stating: “Condolences to those who mourn the Queen. I cannot mourn the leader of a racist empire built on stolen lives, land and wealth of colonized people. We are reminded of the urgency of Treaty with First Nations, justice & reparations for British colonies & becoming a republic.” 

Hanson responded with: “Your attitude appals and disgusts me. When you immigrated to Australia you took every advantage of this country. You took citizenship, bought multiple homes, and a job in a parliament. It’s clear you’re not happy, so pack your bags and piss off back to Pakistan. – PH” 

The case was heard in 2024, and Hanson was found to have been guilty of violating section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975, though is currently contesting the Federal Court’s decision. 

In an identical stunt in 2017, Hanson also walked into the Senate wearing a burka to call for a ban on the garment due to national security concerns, however on that occasion she was not suspended. 

This incident highlights reports of increasing numbers of Islamaphobic sentiments resurging across Australia.

increasing numbers of Islamaphobic sentiments resurging across Australia…

There has been no official publicly available updated national census since 2021, which recorded that 3.2% of Australians identified as Muslim. 

According to a report covering 309 in-person incidents from January 2023 to November 2024, the number of reported verified Islamophobic incidents has doubled compared to previous years, reaching “crisis levels”. The report, compiled by researchers from Monash and Deakin universities, found Muslim women and girls were bearing the brunt of hostility and hatred towards the religion in Australia, with 60 percent of physical assaults and 79 percent of verbal assaults being directed towards them. Similarly, online incidents have more than tripled to 366.

Dr Nora Amath, the executive director of the Islamophobia Register Australia has stated: “The evidence is irrefutable, Islamophobia is not only real but has reached crisis levels in Australia.”

New South Wales, which is home to Australia’s largest Muslim population, has had almost half of the in-person incidents occur there. It was found that 75% of all victims of Islamaphobic hate crimes were women and girls, and those who present visibly Muslim, by wearing religious clothing such as hijabs and burkas, are the most targeted group.

It was found that 75% of all victims of Islamaphobic hate crimes were women and girls…

Researchers suggest this spike corresponds with the Israel-Gaza conflict, with the annual Scanlon Mapping Social Cohesion report finding that out of 8000 Australian’s, 34 percent of the ground had a somewhat or very negative view of Muslims, which is a statistic that has increased from 27 percent in mid-2023, before the conflict started.

Will Hanson’s stunt spark further debate over the future of religious dress in public? The future is uncertain, but what is not is Hanson’s determination for change.

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