A One Nation senator has been accused of fanning anti-Muslim hate and associating with neo-Nazis after grilling Australia’s envoy to fight Islamophobia about sharia legislation.
Malcolm Roberts, a Queensland-based consultant of the right-wing social gathering, questioned Aftab Malik throughout Senate estimates on Tuesday about why his report outlining a nationwide response to Islamophobia didn’t point out sharia legislation.
“Sharia legislation, ought to it’s allowed into Australia, would substitute Australian legislation, Australian courts, police and governments,” Roberts stated.
“How are you going to discuss opposition to Islam with out addressing the elephant within the room: sharia legislation?”
Malik stated the query was a superb instance of why his position was established by the federal authorities: to assist individuals perceive misconceptions round Islam and sharia legislation, which had been fuelling anti-Muslim discrimination, marginalisation and exclusion.
Greens senator David Shoebridge requested Malik whether or not false, politicised assaults, like saying sharia legislation was about to be imposed on Australia, had been partly accountable for rising Islamophobia.
Australia’s particular envoy to fight Islamophobia, Aftab Malik, stated his position was established to assist individuals perceive misconceptions about Islam. Supply: AAP / Bianca de Marchi
“You’re completely right,” Malik stated.
“A part of the issue is that with freedom of expression or freedom of speech, one should additionally exert accountability. And I believe that is what’s missing from political discourse: accountability.
“One might be vital of any faith, one might be vital of a Muslim nation. However as soon as it errs upon sweeping generalisation, stereotyping or demonisation or particularly focusing on Muslims personally … [it] normalises prejudice.
Final week, Pauline Hanson wore a burqa into parliament for the second time in her profession. Supply: AAP
“When individuals see or hear a political chief converse in a sure method, it confirms these prejudices and it emboldens discrimination.”
Roberts additionally accused Malik of attempting to forged considerations about Islamic terrorism as Islamophobia by not making reference to ISIS (the self-proclaimed Islamic State group) or al-Qaeda in his report.
Labor senator Murray Watt slammed Roberts, accusing him of consorting with neo-Nazis.
“I do not actually know what level you are making, however I’ve to reply questions from you and your colleagues regularly within the Senate chamber which I’d describe as Islamophobic,” he stated.
“So I’d encourage you to assume very rigorously concerning the types of questions and types of statements that you just and your colleagues make within the public area, at a time after we are seeing social cohesion beneath menace, and at a time after we are seeing the rise of neo-Nazis and different extremists with whom you typically affiliate.”
Roberts protested that he didn’t affiliate with neo-Nazis.
“My feedback are pro-Australia,” he stated.
“My social gathering’s identify is One Nation as a result of we consider in unity.”
Final week, One Nation chief Pauline Hanson was broadly condemned and ejected from the Senate after strolling into the chamber in a burqa, after looking for to carry ahead a movement to ban the Islamic head protecting in public locations.
Hanson shouldn’t be a practising Muslim.
Australia’s race discrimination commissioner, Giridharam Sivaraman, instructed Senate estimates on Monday that Hanson’s actions would deepen adverse attitudes and the danger of violence in the direction of Muslim girls.
