Senator and leader of the One Nation party in Australia, Pauline Hanson, has unfortunately made headlines around the world for pulling a childish prank during an Australian Parliament sitting last week.
Sweeping into Parliament wearing a black burqa from head to toe, she whipped it off while stating ‘This is not what should belong in this Parliament’, before asking the attorney-general, George Brandis: “In light of the national security of this nation will you work to ban the burka in Australia?”
Hanson was met by a solid ‘No” from Brandis. He then continued: “To ridicule that community, to drive it into a corner, to mock its religious garments, is an appalling thing to do. I am not going to pretend to ignore the stunt that you have tried to pull today by arriving in the chamber dressed in a burka when we all know that you are not an adherent of the Islamic faith. I would caution and counsel you with respect to be very, very careful of the offence you may do to the religious sensibilities of other Australians”. Brandis was met with a standing ovation from the opposition and applause from his fellow Coalition MP’s.
Hanson made her debut in Australian politics more than 20 years ago when she publicly criticised Asian migration. Since then, the former fish and chip shop owner has been a permanent resident in the public eye. Her far-Right One Nation party is best-known for opposing migration, multiculturalism and foreign investment, not to mention being opposed to the notion of climate change, as well as supporting the anti-vaccination movement.
Never being one to shy away from the cameras or from ridiculous pranks, she received much criticism after her ‘video stunt’ in 1997 in which she stated on camera: “Fellow Australians, if you are seeing me now, it means I have been murdered”.
Hardly being able to string a sentence together in most situations, Hanson is no stranger to public blunders. During a television interview, she was asked if she was xenophobic. Her response was “Please explain”, which has since become a well-known catch phrase in Australia.
Ironically, Hanson is unaware that after pulling her latest stunt, she has completely disproved the entire point she was aiming to make. She has shown all Australians that women who choose to wear a burka or hijab or any other religious piece of dress doesn’t get in the way with their ability to participate in Australian Parliament.
She had her identification confirmed before entering Parliament and went through all the security check points. What the Senator also doesn’t seem to grasp, is that she is essentially acting as a puppet for Isis, by doing exactly what they want people to do and spreading the message of hate.
Love trumps hate. The world is looking for a solution Ms Hanson, not another problem.
