A young hijab-wearing Muslim woman has stolen the show after accusing Pauline Hanson of double standards in a bold declaration of Australian pride.
The One Nation leader was a panelist on ABC’s Q&A when her polarising views on Muslim migration were challenged by audience member Khadija Fatima.
The young woman pressed Ms Hanson after she blamed Muslims and their ‘totally different’ ideologies for a lot of Australia’s problems during a fiery debate.
‘I will call out how I see it and a lot of other Australians see it the same way. So I’m sorry, I’m not out to offend people, I’m here to protect Australians, that we feel safe on our streets and don’t want the problems here,’ a defiant Ms Hanson said.
Pauline Hanson (pictured) got into a heated debate about Muslims with a member of the studio audience on Q & A on Monday night
Ms Fatima was then asked by program host Tony Jones if she was offended by Hanson’s remarks before hitting back with an angry but powerful response.
‘I’m as much an Australian as you are, Pauline,’ Ms Fatima shot back.
Hanson responded with ‘I’m not denying that. All I ask for is respect our laws and our culture and our way of life.’
But Ms Fatima wasn’t finished.
‘Our Sharia law says the first law is to follow the law of your country. Any Muslim in this room will tell you the same. I don’t know where you get your beliefs from. Don’t push it on all the Muslims across the world,’ she said.
Earlier, Ms Fatima sparked the debate when she asked Ms Hanson why she was offended by comparisons with Queensland Senator Fraser Anning when she too called for immigration ban in her maiden parliamentary speech in 1996 when she claimed Australia was in danger of being swamped by Asians.
Her challenge to the One Nation leader received overwhelming applause from the studio audience.
‘I’m as much an Australian as you are, Pauline,’ Khadija Fatima (pictured) told the One Nation leader
‘Fraser was calling for a white Australia policy and I’ve advocated you don’t have to be white to be Australian. What our concern here in Australia by main Australians is that Muslims have a different ideology and belief and assimilating into our society,’ Hanson responded.
Ms Fatima said she understood that point but asked Ms Hanson why she focused on Muslims ‘every single time?’
Ms Hanson responded that a lot of Australia’s problems were because of Muslims and that they do not appreciate Western society.
Pauline Hanson (third left) was joined on the Q & A panel by Bob Katter, Cathy O’Toole, program host Tony Jones, George Christensen and Larissa Waters