AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): A senator from Australia’s right-wing One Nation Party has come under fire for allegedly stoking anti-Muslim sentiment and maintaining links with neo-Nazis, following his aggressive questioning on Sharia during a Senate hearing on national efforts to counter Islamophobia. Malcolm Roberts, a Queensland senator, asked Aftab Malik why Sharia had not been mentioned in his report on Australia’s national strategy to address Islamophobia.
In his response, Malik stressed that such questions reflect the very misconceptions his mandate was created to correct, noting that these misunderstandings contribute to discrimination and the social exclusion of Muslims. He emphasized that freedom of expression must be exercised responsibly, adding that sweeping generalizations and labeling Islam normalize prejudice.
Senators from the Greens and the Labor Party also denounced Roberts’s remarks as Islamophobic and accused him of having links to neo-Nazis, an allegation Roberts rejected, claiming that his positions are “in Australia’s interest”. The discussion also referenced recent controversial actions by other One Nation figures, including Pauline Hanson’s widely condemned decision last week to enter the Senate chamber wearing a burqa.
Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner has warned that such behavior and rhetoric intensify negative attitudes toward Muslims, particularly Muslim women, and increase the risk of violence.
**************
End/ 345E
