BY KATHERINE BRADSTREET
The Prime Minister John Howard initially refused to rule out support for a call to ban Muslim women from wearing certain religious dress in public. The call was made by Fred Nile, a Christian fundamentalist MP in the NSW upper house, on November 20.
Nile claimed that the chador, a loose-fitting robe that covers the head and body, could be used as a disguise for terrorists. "Such total body covering completely conceals a person's identity, even whether the wearer is male or female, which is a perfect disguise for terrorists as it conceals both weapons and explosives", Nile said.
Howard, speaking on talk-back radio on November 21, said he did not "have a clear response to what Fred has put", adding that "I like Fred, I don't always agree with him, but Fred speaks for the views of a lot of people".
Nile's bigoted statements, and Howard's ambiguous response, has angered many people. The Independent Education Union has called for Nile's resignation; a range of Christian and Muslim leaders have also condemned the comments. Only after the extent of public outrage became clear did Howard finally say he did not support Nile's xenophobic proposal.
Howard's refusal to openly oppose Nile's racist comments was a reminder of his response to the racist former federal MP, Pauline Hanson. When Hanson and her One Nation party gained enormous media coverage with racist attacks on migrant and indigenous communities, Howard remained silent. Meanwhile, his government pursued policies that reflected Hanson's racism.
Amy McDonell, a Sydney organiser for the socialist youth group Resistance, told Green Left Weekly that "the fact that John Howard took so long to reject Nile's outrageously racist and anti-democratic proposal shows how willing he is to exploit such racist scapegoating of Muslims."
Resistance has initiated a protest action outside NSW Parliament House, scheduled for 3pm, November 28, and is encouraging as many organisations and individuals as possible to take part. Phone (02) 9690 1977 for more information.
From Green Left Weekly, November 27, 2002.
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