A judge ruled on Friday that Pauline Hanson, the leader of the One Nation party, breached Australia’s racial discrimination law by telling a Pakistani-born senator to go back to her country.
The incident occurred in 2022 on Twitter, which was then called X. The act aims to prevent people from being intimidated or offended because of their race, national origin, or color.
The deputy leader of Australia’s Green party, Faruqi, criticized the late Queen Elizabeth II after she passed away.
In response, Hanson, who is the head of the One Nation party, told Faruqi to go back to Pakistan. She said that he had come to Australia to take advantage of its resources.
Hanson has been vocal about her opinions on race since 1996, when she delivered a speech in Parliament. She noted that Australia was in danger of becoming swamped by Asians due to its immigration policy.
She also wore a burqa during a debate on banning the wearing of Islamic face coverings in the Senate.
When Faruqi and her husband came to Australia in 1992, she was a skilled economic migrant. She was subjected to intimidating and offensive behavior by Hanson. According to Justice Stewart, her post was racist and anti-Muslim.
Judge Stewart ordered Hanson to remove the offensive post, and he also ordered her to pay Faruqi’s legal fees. Faruqi said that the ruling was a vindication for all the individuals who were subjected to racial slurs and racist behavior in Australia. She noted that the country’s ruling showed that telling people to go back to their origins is a form of racism.
In response, she stated that the ruling had been a victory for people of color. She noted that Muslims in Australia had been working incredibly hard to build a society that is anti-racist. The Muslim Advocacy Network of Australia, which represents about 3.2% of the country’s Muslims, said the ruling sends a strong message to those who indulge in racial and political discrimination. Hanson, on the other hand, expressed her disappointment with the court’s decision and vowed to appeal.
Hanson noted that the court’s decision showed how the Racial Discrimination Act had encroached on the freedom of speech. Her lawyers argued that her post was protected under Australia’s Constitution.
She stated that the death of the queen was a matter of public interest, and Faruqi’s views on it were also of interest to the public.