Australian far-right senator Pauline Hanson has appeared in parliament wearing a hijab, in an attempt to push forward her initiative to ban Muslim clothing in public spaces.
She donned the hijab shortly after her request to introduce a bill aimed at banning hijabs and other full-face veils in public places was rejected.
Hanson's entry into the Senate chamber sparked a backlash, temporarily halting the session after she refused to remove her headscarf. Muslim lawmakers sharply criticized her, calling her action a "religious insult."

"This is a senator who displays pure racism," declared Mehreen Faruqi.
Meanwhile, Fatima Payman, an independent senator from Western Australia, described the gesture as “disgraceful.” Hanson has been known since the 1990s for her strong opposition to Asian immigration and asylum seekers, and has campaigned against Islamic dress throughout her parliamentary career.
Later, in a published statement, she said: "If parliament does not ban it, then I will wear this oppressive, radical and irreligious headscarf, which she says undermines national security and diminishes the dignity of women, so that every Australian understands what is at stake."