Controversial American pundit gets prevented from entering Australia
Date
10/29/2024 7:21:17 AM
(MENAFN) Candace Owens, a right-wing commentator from the United States, has been denied entry to Australia ahead of a planned speaking tour, with officials citing her potential to incite discord as the reason for the visa rejection. Australian Immigration Minister Tony Burke confirmed the decision on Sunday, asserting that the country's national interest is better served by keeping Owens out.
Owens, who boasts a following of 18 million on YouTube, has drawn considerable criticism for her controversial statements on race, gender, and social issues. Her planned five-city tour of Australia sparked outrage due to her history of inflammatory remarks, particularly concerning Jewish, Muslim, and transgender communities.
In his statement, Burke highlighted Owens' controversial rhetoric, noting her previous comments that downplay the Holocaust and her claims regarding the origins of slavery, asserting that she has the ability to incite division across various communities. Specifically, he referenced her questioning of the validity of well-documented medical experiments conducted by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele on Jewish twins during World War II, which she referred to as “completely absurd” and “bizarre propaganda.”
Owens has faced accusations of anti-Semitism before, notably when she was dismissed from the conservative news outlet Daily Wire earlier this year after making remarks accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza. She further claimed that a "small ring" of "political Jews" in the U.S. exploit their Jewish identity to deflect criticism. These statements ignited a public dispute with Daily Wire's Jewish co-founder, Ben Shapiro, who condemned her comments as “disgraceful.”
The decision to block Owens from entering Australia reflects ongoing tensions surrounding free speech, hate speech, and the responsibilities of public figures in their discourse. It also underscores a broader concern within Australia about maintaining social cohesion and countering divisive narratives in a multicultural society. As public figures increasingly wield influence on social media platforms, the implications of their statements and the potential for harm continue to be a significant focus for governments and communities alike.
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