After demonstrating her support for a ban on the use of burqas in public, an Australian lawmaker who supports far-right politics has sparked furious racism accusations.
The stunt was carried out on Monday by Pauline Hanson, the party’s populist leader, One Nation, after she was denied the opportunity to introduce a Senate bill to outlaw the traditional Muslim attire and other face coverings from public life in Australia.
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As she donned the burqa and entered the Senate chamber, Hanson was immediately accused of racism and Islamophobia by several lawmakers.
When she refused to take the garment off, proceedings were suspended.
The first Muslim to be elected to the upper chamber of Australia, Australian Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi, said, “Racism shouldn’t be the choice of the Senate, but the senators may choose it.” “This senator exhibits blatant racism and Islamophobia,” the statement reads.
Senator Fatima Payman, an independent and Muslim, accused Hanson of “disrespecting the Muslims out there, the Muslim Australians,” in a statement released by the Independent.
The leader of Australia’s centre-left Labour government, Penny Wong, moved to suspend Hanson after she declared her actions “not deserving of a seat in the Australian Senate.”
long-running campaign
In parliament, Hanson had twice used a burqa as a prop in support of her long-running campaign to outlaw the wear in public. She wore the outfit in 2017 and then again in 2018.
The Queensland senator gained notoriety in the 1990s as a result of her staunch opposition to immigration from Asia and from asylum seekers.
Her One Nation party now holds four seats in the Senate, having doubled its overall vote participation in May, and seeing a rise in support for its far-right agenda.
Following the events of Monday, Hanson claimed in a Facebook statement that her actions were protesting the Senate’s rejection of her bill.
Many Palestinians sigh of relief when a “ceasefire” was declared in Gaza on October 10. They had just endured two years of constant bombardment, which was estimated to have been equivalent to roughly six times the explosive force of the 1945 bombing that hit Hiroshima, concentrated on a region less than half the size of the Japanese city.
The destruction was extensive. Critical infrastructure, including the sewage system and electricity lines, had been severely damaged, most of which had been destroyed, and all hospitals and universities had been bombed. At least 10,000 Palestinian bodies who had been killed in bombardments and who were still unaccounted for had reportedly been scattered across the strip, which is estimated to have contained 50 million tons of rubble.
The respite, however, never materialized that the people of Gaza had hoped would arrive. The Israeli regime began bombing the strip again shortly after the “ceasefire” announcement. Since then, it hasn’t stopped.
Israel has violated the “ceasefire” nearly killed-hundreds”>500 times in 44 days, killing 342 civilians, according to Gaza’s Government Media Office. The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed 109 Palestinians, including 52 children, on October 29. More recently, on Thursday, a bomb dropped on a building they were sheltering in in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City claimed the lives of 32 Palestinians, including an entire family.
However, the bombardment is not the only thing that is still going on. The hunger hasn’t either.
According to the “ceasefire” agreement, Israel was supposed to be allowed to bring in 600 trucks of aid each day, but that has been refused. The IOF only permits 150 trucks a day to enter the strip, according to Al Jazeera’s correspondent from Gaza, Hind al-Khoudary. Additionally, they restrict the entry of much-needed medicine, tents, and other shelter-related supplies, such as meat, dairy, and vegetables.
According to a coalition of Palestinian relief organizations, the current level of aid doesn’t even meet the population’s basic needs.
UNRWA, which claims to have enough food in its warehouses to feed everyone in Gaza for months, is still prohibited from bringing any of it in. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) advised the Israeli regime in October that it has a duty to not impede the flow of aid by UN agencies, including UNRWA, in direct conflict with this.
The court also refuted Israeli claims that the organization lacks impartiality and emphasized its significance as a key player in the humanitarian community. The Israeli government, however, has rejected the advisory opinion and continues to stymie UNRWA’s activities by preventing distribution of aid and denying its international staff visas.
Additionally, the Israeli government does not adhere to the interim measures that were established in a ICJ decision in January 2024, which found that it was possible to commit genocide in Gaza. These included allowing humanitarian assistance into Gaza, preventing and punishing incitement to genocide, and preventing and allowing genocide. The court has since repeated its provisional measures since then. They are still being ignored by the Israeli government.
Because of its unmatched diplomatic, financial, and military cover, it continues to do so on a global level. The most recent instance of that was on November 17 when Resolution 2803, which approved President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza, was passed.
The board of peace, which is led by Trump himself, and the international stabilization force, which are charged with ensuring security and putting pressure on Palestinian groups, are two of its provisions. Both organizations’ governing bodies are still undetermined, but they would cooperate with the Israeli government, giving the Palestinian people a new layer of control.
Additionally, the resolution makes it possible to use both domestic and international aid distribution channels. It doesn’t mention the genocide or suggest any mechanisms for holding accountable for war crimes. In essence, the resolution goes against international law and gives Gaza to the US, who is a co-perpetrator of the genocide.
All of this makes it clear that there is no ceasefire in any way. The Israeli government continues to attack Gaza, starve the Palestinian population, and obstruct its access to safe shelter and care.
Third states can claim progress on conflict resolution and even peace if the Palestinians’ fundamental genocidal reality on the ground is still largely unchanged by calling this agreement a ceasefire. The “ceasefire” serves as a cover for the Palestinian people’s ongoing extermination, displacement, and erasure in Gaza, and as a deterrent to the international press and media.
Due to the involvement of the United Arab Emirates, the head of the Sudanese Armed Forces has rejected a ceasefire proposal that was presented by the United States and other mediators.
The “Quad” – the moderator group that includes the US, UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, has “the worst proposal” so far, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan told senior military commanders and security officials in a speech that was made public late on Sunday in his office.
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The criticism suggests that the government-aligned army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have waged a bitter civil war that has caused at least 14 million to lose lives and caused a humanitarian crisis.
The commander criticized the proposal as “unacceptable,” claiming that it “effectively eliminates the existence of the armed forces and… the dissolution of all security agencies” while “maintaining the rebellious militia in its positions.”
He claimed that Sudan wanted a ceasefire and that the RSF had to retreat and be confined to specific locations.
Is the role of the UAE questioned?
Al-Burhan reiterated that Sudan believes the UAE’s role in the Quad is untrue.
He claimed that “the entire world has witnessed the support for rebels against the Sudanese state.”
We will consider the mediation to be biased if it goes on in this direction.
The UAE is frequently accused of arming and funding the RSF, aiding in regional interests advancement, and gaining access to Sudan’s gold and other minerals.
The charges are rejected by the UAE, who describes them as a “cynical publicity stunt.”
No one can threaten us or dictate terms, according to al-Burhan, who said, “We’re not warmongers, and we don’t reject peace.”
(Al Jazeera)
Al-Burhan also criticized the US for mentioning Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-born businessman who is serving as President Donald Trump’s senior advisor in regional affairs, in the proposal.
According to him, Boulos could become a barrier to peace as a result of the US ambassador’s claims that the army is using chemical weapons and preventing humanitarian aid.
The army chief, however, praised Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who both called for serious steps to end Sudan’s conflict while speaking to reporters in Washington last week.
“Catastrophic humanitarian consequences”
The RSF announced this month that the Quad proposal addresses the “catastrophic humanitarian consequences of the war.”
A three-month truce, according to the plan, could pave the way for a lasting political solution. In a nation where the ruling military commanders seized power after numerous coups, it would also establish a new civilian government.
However, the RSF continues to wreak havoc in Darfur, which was under the control of Sudan’s western region after last month’s army was forced to leave the city of El-Fasher.
RSF fighters have since been spotted burning and burying bodies in large numbers in an effort to conceal the existence of numerous mass killings, according to satellite images from the city.
Despite international organizations and witnesses reporting widespread rape, thousands of people still go missing after fleeing the area.
Part of the central Sudanese Kordofan region is still up for battles between the army and the RSF.
The army’s 22nd Division will soon be able to retake control of the strategic city of Babnusa in West Kordofan, according to the RSF on Saturday.
In Khartoum and other parts of Sudan in April 2023, a power struggle between the military and the RSF sparked open fighting in the capital.
More than 40, 000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to UN statistics, but aid organizations claim that this is an undercount and that the actual number could be much higher.
A suicide bomber and gunmen killed at least three security personnel in Peshawar, Pakistan’s city, in the wake of the attack on the Federal Constabulary (FC) headquarters.
According to Peshawar Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Mian Saeed Ahmad, “Three FC (Federal Constabulary) personnel deployed at the gate were martyred and four others were wounded,” one assailant detonated explosives and two other attackers were fatally shot by the security forces.
11 people were hurt in the attack on Monday, which came less than two weeks after a suicide attack outside a court in Islamabad that left 12 people dead.
What we currently know and why Pakistan has experienced a rise in armed attacks in recent months are listed below.
What transpired in Peshawar?
A suicide bomber detonated his explosives at the security headquarters shortly after 8am on Monday (03:00 GMT), before other assailants entered the building complex in the city center, according to local media.
According to Ahmad, the police chief, about 150 security personnel were gathered inside the headquarters for morning parade drills when the attack occurred.
He told The Associated Press (AP) news agency, “The terrorists involved in today’s attack were on foot and did not arrive at the parade area, and a much larger tragedy could have been avoided.”
He claimed that for DNA testing, authorities had taken samples of the attackers’ body parts. Without providing further information, he continued, adding that police are still conducting inquiries to determine the attackers’ nationality and identity.
The attack has ended, according to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s police chief Zulfiqar Hameed, who told the AFP news agency that a clearance operation is underway to find out if any unexploded objects are present.
Where did the attack occur in Peshawar?
The Frontier Constabulary (FC) headquarters is located in Peshawar Cantonment, a garrison district that is under the Pakistan Army’s control, in a densely populated area known as Sunehri Masjid Road.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s headquarters for the FC is a paramilitary police force. The Border Military Police (BMP) and Samana Rifles (SR) joined forces in 1913 to form the larger paramilitary force.
(Al Jazeera)
What are the victims’ details known to us?
According to Javed Iqbal, the force’s deputy commander, three paramilitary personnel were killed in the attack.
11 people were also hurt, total. Paramilitary officials were two of them.
All 11 victims of the Peshawar attack were reportedly listed as stable, according to Asim Khan, a Lady Reading Hospital spokesperson.
Who is claiming responsibility for the attack?
No organization has accepted responsibility for the attack.
However, similar assaults in the nation, which have recently experienced a rise in such attacks, are being blamed on the Pakistan Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan.
Since the Taliban-led government of Afghanistan took control of Afghanistan in 2021, Pakistan claims that the Pakistan Taliban have been able to operate freely inside the country.
What became of the attackers?
The total number of attackers is still unknown. Without naming the total number of victims, AP reported that there were two suicide bombers in the attack, while AFP reported that one of the assailants was a bomber. Three suicide bombers were reportedly involved, according to Reuters.
Security forces killed two of the attackers, according to AFP, and the third assailant detonated explosives.
Three militants attempted to attack the headquarters at first. According to local newspaper Dawn, one terrorist blew himself up at the gate, and two others attempted to enter the building before being shot dead by FC personnel.
According to Ahmad, one of the attackers was killed when the suicide bomb explosives went off, and the other two were hurt and taken to the hospital.
Has Pakistan’s use of weapons increased?
In recent years, there have been more armed attacks in Pakistan.
According to the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), which is maintained by London-based charity Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), the nation has recorded 1,517 “terror-related” incidents this year on November 21.
According to SATP, there were 1, 303 “terrorism-related” incidents in 2024, 921 in 2023, and 630 in 2022.
According to figures from the Center for Research and Security Studies (CRSS) in Islamabad, 2024 was the country’s deadliest year in almost a decade, with 2,526 people killed in attacks. Nearly 700 security personnel, over 900 civilians, and about 900 rebels were among the victims.
What has the government done?
In an X-post, Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari denounced the attack.
President Asif Ali Zardari expresses his condolences and applauds the bravery of the security forces in response to the attack at the Federal Constabulary headquarters in Peshawar. He asserts that Pakistan’s unity, resilience, or resolve cannot be undermined by external support for Fitna-al-Khawarij.
In a statement, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said the victims’ sacrifices would be remembered, according to Dawn.
No such #terrorist plots or attackers, which it appears they were, can or will weaken Pakistan’s unity, resilience, or resolve, according to Senator Sherry Rehman of the Pakistan Peoples Party in an X post.
The Federal Constabulary’s Peshawar headquarters attack is a stern condemnation. The families of the FC martyrs extend heartfelt condolences. We all applaud the brave security forces who kept a watchful eye to stop the suicide bombers from entering the building to pursue their heinous intentions…
Despite Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza, a sports club in Gaza offers children training and activities. According to experts, Al-Mashtal’s hall was reopened to assist young Palestinians in gaining confidence and managing the psychological effects of the conflict.
