Pauline Hanson will soon know whether telling a Muslim senator to pack his bags and return to Pakistan is racist under the law.
Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi launched legal action against the One Nation leader for alleged racial discrimination over a September 2022 post on Twitter, now X, in which she told her to “go to Pakistan”.
The alleged hate speech was in response to a post by Senator Faruqi on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s death.
The Greens deputy leader wrote that she could not mourn the passing of the leader of a “racist empire built on the stolen lives, lands and wealth of colonized peoples.”
The case went through a four-day trial in the Federal Court before Judge Angus Stewart.
Senator Hanson claimed that she did not know that Senator Faruqi was Muslim when she sent the tweet.
But Senator Faruqi produced a wealth of material showing she publicly identified as Muslim on several occasions, including in communications with the leader of One Nation.
This includes a pinned tweet in which Senator Faruqi said “I am Muslim” and a podcast in which Senator Hanson appeared as a guest, where the host identified her as Muslim.
Pauline Hanson (pictured) claimed she did not know Mehreen Faruqi was Muslim when she sent the tweet.
Senator Faruqi also tagged Senator Hanson in a 2018 tweet asking him, “I’m curious.” @PaulineHansonOz am I a good or bad Muslim?
Senator Hanson denied engaging in racial profiling by sending the tweet.
Instead, he claimed to have engaged in a political speech by pointing out the Greens MP’s hypocrisy in criticizing the monarchy while benefiting from emigrating and living in Australia.
Judge Stewart is due to present his findings on Friday.
The court will determine whether Senator Hanson engaged in racial discrimination, identify any harms that may arise as a result, and establish a position on her argument that parts of the Racial Discrimination Act are not constitutional.
Pauline Hanson claimed she did not know Senator Faruqi (pictured) was Muslim when she sent the tweet.
