Australia’s First Hijab-Wearing Senator Leaves Party After Facing Intimidation
Fatima Payman, Australia’s first hijab-wearing senator, has resigned from the ruling Labor Party following intense bullying and intimidation from colleagues as per a news report published by The Times of India. This comes after she voted to recognize Palestinian statehood, a move that clashed with the Labor government’s official stance.
Pro-Palestinian Protests at Parliament House
Last week, pro-Palestinian protesters breached security at Australia’s Parliament House, unfurling banners from the roof that criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza. The protest took place on the final sitting day before a five-week break, underscoring the ongoing tensions over Israel’s war against Hamas. The protesters displayed banners reading “war crimes” and “genocide” as well as the slogan, “from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” which remained visible for over an hour before their arrest.
Significance and Impact
This incident highlights the growing global concern and debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Payman’s resignation underscores the pervasive Islamophobia in Australian politics, revealing the challenges faced by Muslim politicians who take principled stances on controversial issues. It also sheds light on broader issues of religious discrimination and the marginalization of Muslim voices in the political arena.
Fatima Payman: A Profile
Born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1995, Payman and her family fled the Taliban, eventually migrating to Australia in 2003. Her father, who arrived in Australia as a refugee in 1999, worked various jobs to support the family. Payman attended the Australian Islamic College in Perth and later earned a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology and a Graduate Diploma of Pharmaceutical Science from the University of Western Australia.
Payman served as president of Young Labor WA and worked as an organizer for the United Workers Union before becoming an electorate officer for Pierre Yang. In the 2022 Australian federal election, she was elected to the Australian Senate, becoming the third youngest senator in Australian history and the first Muslim woman to wear a hijab in the Australian Parliament. Her political priorities include increasing political participation from diverse backgrounds, improving early childhood education, and addressing climate change.
Reactions and Future Plans
“My family did not flee from a war-torn country to come here as refugees for me to remain silent when I see atrocities inflicted on innocent people,” Payman told reporters. She also expressed disappointment over colleagues ridiculing her for seeking guidance from God, highlighting a double standard in the treatment of religious practices in politics.
Nora Amath, Executive Director of the Islamophobia Register of Australia, condemned the scornful remarks made by Payman’s colleagues, calling them blatant “dog whistling” to anti-Muslim sentiment. The backlash against Payman included ostracism and portrayal as an extremist by right-wing politicians, exposing deep-rooted Islamophobia within Australian politics.
Despite resigning from the Labor Party, Payman will continue her role in the Senate as an independent. The Australian government has recently appointed a special envoy to combat antisemitism and plans to appoint an envoy to tackle Islamophobia soon. However, opposition leader Peter Dutton and his colleagues have expressed concerns about Muslim political representation, revealing ongoing challenges for religious minorities in Australian politics.
