(MENAFN- Khaama Press) Australian Senator Pauline Hanson was suspended for one week after entering parliament in a burqa, a stunt that triggered strong condemnation from lawmakers.
Australia's Senate voted on Tuesday to suspend right-wing politician Pauline Hanson for one week after she entered the chamber wearing a burqa to demand a public ban on full-face coverings.

Hanson, a Queensland senator known for anti-immigration views since the 1990s, sparked outrage on Monday when she arrived in the Senate chamber in a full-body covering. Muslim senators Mehreen Faruqi and Fatima Payman condemned the stunt as blatant racism and an attempt to humiliate Muslim women.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong, who leads the government in the Senate, introduced the motion to formally censure Hanson, saying she had“paraded her prejudice under the guise of protest for decades.”

The suspension motion passed with 55 votes in favour and five against. The resolution said Hanson's act was intended to“mock and demean people based on their faith” and constituted“disrespect toward Australian Muslims.”

This is the second time Hanson has worn a burqa in the Senate to push for a national ban, having staged a similar protest in 2018.

In response to the suspension, Hanson wrote on Facebook that if parliament opposed her wearing it,“then ban the burqa.” She leads the One Nation Party and has long been criticised for racist remarks targeting Muslims and Asians.

Hanson has previously warned of what she called the“threat” of Muslim influence in Australia, comments that drew widespread condemnation from lawmakers and rights groups.

The episode has renewed debate in Australia about religious freedom, respect for minorities, and the responsibility of public officials to avoid actions that inflame social tensions.

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