| The connection of Muslims to this continent predates the arrival of European settlers. |
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AFIC Demands Accountability Over Pauline Hanson’s Incendiary Anti-Muslim Rhetoric
20/02/2026
(See translation in Arabic section)
Sydney-Middle East Times Int'l: The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, AFIC, has condemned in the strongest possible terms the latest anti-Muslim remarks made by Senator Pauline Hanson, describing them as dangerous, inflammatory and fundamentally corrosive to Australia’s social fabric.
In recent months, governments across Australia have introduced sweeping new hate speech and incitement laws on the basis that strong rhetoric can contribute to real-world harm. Yet a sitting member of Parliament has publicly made sweeping and dehumanising claims about an entire faith community without facing any meaningful consequence.
AFIC questions whether the standards being imposed on ordinary citizens are being applied equally to political leaders.
“If an Australian Muslim had made comparable remarks about another religious community, we have no doubt there would be immediate police action and intense political condemnation,” said Dr Rateb Jneid, President of AFIC. “The question Australians are entitled to ask is whether parliamentarians are exempt from the very standards they legislate for others.”
The language used by Senator Hanson does not merely express disagreement or political opinion. It portrays an entire religious community as inherently suspect and dangerous. Such rhetoric normalises hostility and creates an environment in which prejudice can escalate into harassment, threats and violence.
This is not abstract. Communities across the country are already experiencing heightened Islamophobia, including threats to mosques and individuals. Words spoken by national political figures carry weight. When those words frame millions of Australians as a collective threat, they do more than divide, they incite others with rancour in their hearts to escalate their own hatred for minorities.
AFIC further notes that recent legislation has introduced aggravated offences for religious leaders who are found to incite hatred. It is therefore reasonable to ask what consequences apply when elected officials engage in rhetoric that has the clear and foreseeable effect of inciting hatred toward a minority community.
“There must be serious and meaningful consequences for political leaders who deliberately trade in fear and hostility,” Dr Jneid said. “Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from accountability, especially when that speech risks inflaming tensions and placing communities at risk.”
AFIC calls on political leadership across the spectrum to move beyond muted rebukes and to make clear that collective blame, racialised suspicion and the politics of fear have no place in public life. Social cohesion cannot be defended selectively, nor can laws against incitement be applied unevenly.
AFIC also rejects the underlying implication that Muslims are somehow foreign to this land or recent intruders into Australian society. Historical evidence confirms that Muslim traders from present day Indonesia were engaging in sustained trade and cultural exchange with First Nations communities in northern Australia from at least the early 1700s, decades before British colonisation. Muslim connection to this continent predates the arrival of European settlers. Our presence here is not conditional, and it does not require validation from descendants of colonisation. We have been connected to this land for centuries, and we remain an integral part of its present and future. Our belonging here is not subject to political approval.
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AFIC, established in 1964, stands as the Peak Muslim Organisation in Australia, with 170 members including 9 State and Territory Councils. It has a rich history of pioneering numerous community services and actively advocating for the rights and representation of the Muslim community.
Authorised:Dr Rateb Jneid, President |
