Australia’s racism commissioner has called on Pauline Hanson to apologize for inflammatory comments about Australian Muslims, sparking a backlash over comments others have condemned as “reprehensible”.
Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said Hanson had drawn criticism from political circles for his inflammatory remarks targeting Muslims.
“I hesitate to respond to such comments because doing so risks fueling sentiments that have no place in our public discourse,” he said.
“But comments that isolate and diminish any community can have real and lasting effects.
“Australia’s Muslim communities – like all our communities – deserve to feel safe, respected and included. The onus is on public representatives to increase our national dialogue, not inflame tensions, divide us or undermine the dignity of others.”
Hanson was on Sky News on Monday night to discuss the failed attempts to repatriate Australian women and children trapped in Syria.
She accused them of hating the West: “You said, ‘Well, there are good Muslims out there.’ How can you tell me there are good Muslims? She said.
Sivaraman said Hanson should withdraw his comments and apologize.
Outspoken Nationals senator Matt Canavan responded by saying Hanson was unfit to lead a political party.
Speaking on Channel 9 on Wednesday morning, Canavan called his fellow Queensland senator’s comments “thoroughly Australian”.
“This statement from Pauline is divisive, inflammatory,” he said. “Thoroughly un-Australian, someone could say that there are no good people among Australians who are Muslim.
“Obviously, I think she’s gone too far, and now she’s not going to apologize because she won’t,” Canavan said.
“She is unfit to lead a major political party with these kinds of undisciplined statements that have insulted hundreds of thousands of Australians.”
On ABC radio, Hanson walked back some of the comments on Wednesday, issuing a conditional apology if they “offended anyone who doesn’t believe in Sharia law, or polygamy, or wants to bring ISIS brides or people from Gaza who believe in the caliphate.”
But she added: “I’m not going to apologize … I’m going to say my opinion now before it’s too late.”
The NSW Premier, Chris Minnes, called Hanson’s comments a “racist intervention”.
“I want to make it clear that New South Wales is full of wonderful, great Australians of the Muslim faith who care about our country, are a big part of its future and have contributed enormously to where we are today.”
Bilal El-Hayek, mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown Council, which owns Lakemba Mosque, told 2GB Radio Hanson was making “another attempt to inflame division and inflame the situation”.
“At a time when we should be coming together, it is a shame to see people playing politics,” he said.
“Of course, in Canterbury-Bankstown, we’re a multicultural, multi-faith community. Regardless of your background, regardless of your faith, we all come together.”
When asked about Tuesday’s comments, new opposition leader Angus Taylor defended the Muslim community but did not directly criticize Hanson.
“I know many good Muslims,” he said. “They’re in my electorate. I have a lot of them.”
Asked on Tuesday whether Hanson was racist, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told ABC radio she had always promoted “division”.
“Pauline Hanson is someone who doesn’t come up with any solutions, just recognizes and promotes complaints,” he said.
“It’s absolutely partisan. And it’s divisive that offers no solutions. All it does is pit Australian against Australian.”
Hanson is challenging Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi in court to be accused of racial discrimination when the party’s deputy leader criticized the British Empire after Queen Elizabeth’s death.
“When you immigrated to Australia you got every advantage of this country,” Hanson wrote on social media. “It’s clear you’re not happy, so pack your bags and go back to Pakistan.”
Speaking to the media outside the court after the victory, Faruqi said the finding “sent a strong message that racists will be held accountable” and made it clear that “hate speech is not freedom”.
Hanson has previously faced criticism for insulting Muslims by wearing a burqa in the Senate chamber last year. She was suspended from the chamber for seven days.
Her firebrand 1996 maiden speech made race an issue in federal politics, declaring that Australia was “swamped by Asians”. is in danger,” she said.
