Australian senator wears burqa in Parliament to demand ban on covering garments

An Australian far-right senator on Thursday wore a burqa in Parliament to demand national ban on all the covering garments worn by Muslim women. The move received angry backlash from the government and Muslims.

Pauline Hanson, who is leader of the anti-Muslim and anti-immigration One Nation minor party, sat in the Parliament with the black head-to-ankle garment for more than 10 minutes on Thursday.

After removing the covering, Pauline explained that she wanted ban on such outfits because of security reasons.

Attorney-General George Brandis drew applause when he said his government would not ban the burqa, and chastised Hanson for what he described as a “stunt” that offended Australia’s Muslim minority.

Senate President Stephen Parry said Hanson’s identity had been confirmed before she entered the chamber.

With PTI inputs