Australian Senator Pauline Hanson—considered by many to be a far‑right figure—sparked an uproar in her country Monday morning when she entered the Senate chamber wearing a burqa, the full Islamic garment covering a woman’s face and entire body, provoking accusations of racism from Muslim senators.
Hanson entered the chamber clad in a burqa shortly after her bill to prohibit the wearing of burqas and other face‑coverings in public places in Australia was refused a debate. This marked the second time she has worn the garment in Parliament as part of her campaign to ban it.
As Hanson walked in wearing the burqa—but with bare feet exposed—proceedings erupted in anger, and Parliament operations were suspended when she refused to leave.
Minister for Multiculturalism Anne Aly said Hanson’s act was “unacceptable” and accused her of trying to “divide” the country, emphasizing that Muslim women should have “choice” in what they wear.
Foreign minister and deputy leader of the Labor faction, Penny Wong, also condemned Hanson. “We represent in this chamber people of every faith … whatever our views, we should not be this disrespectful of the chamber and of people of faith,” she said.
"If Parliament will not ban it, then I will display this oppressive, radical, non‑religious head‑garment that risks our national security and the mistreatment of women on the floor of our Parliament so that every Australian knows what's at stake. If they don’t want me wearing it – ban the burqa."
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The senator's bill to prohibit the wearing of burqas and other face‑coverings in public places in Australia was refused a debate
(Photo: Reuters)
Hanson, a Queensland Senator and leader of the One Nation party, first came to public prominence in the 1990s because of her strong opposition to immigration from Asia and the acceptance of asylum‑seekers into Australia. She has campaigned for years against the wearing of Islamic dress. In 2017 she also donned a burqa in Parliament and called for it to be banned, as part of her broader agenda—and many countries in Europe such as Belgium and France have implemented similar bans.
A burqa is a full‑body covering that leaves only a small mesh panel over the eyes. Other garments worn by some Muslim women include the niqab, which covers the face but leaves the eyes visible.
Over the past decade and a half, more than 20 countries around the world have banned the wearing of the burqa in public—on the grounds that it is considered a symbol of oppression, often linked with religious extremism. France was the first European country to introduce such a ban, in 2011; since then others including Austria, Tunisia, Turkey, Sri Lanka and Switzerland have followed.
Activists campaigning for the rights of Muslim women have repeatedly challenged these bans. The European Court of Human Rights has rejected those challenges, for example in 2017 upholding Belgium’s ban as justified on the grounds of protecting the “living together” of society. This year, Italy’s governing party under Giorgia Meloni has also begun promoting a ban on burqa and niqab in public spaces.