Majority of Australians Support Public Ban on Islamic Burqa

A majority of Australians believe the traditional Islamic burqa should be banned in public places, according to a new poll.

The survey found that 43.6 per cent of respondents “strongly” support a ban on the burqa in public while another 12.7 per cent also support the idea, producing a majority of 56.3 per cent generally in favour.

The Sky News/ReachTel poll found 12.3 per cent were against a ban and 18.9 cent “strongly” opposed the idea. Another 12.5 per cent were undecided.

The topic has risen to the forefront of political debate Down Under after One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson wore a burqa in Australia’s parliament last week. As Breitbart London reported, she wore the garb to gain publicity for her push to ban the burqa in public places and the Senator’s call seems to have found resonance with a large section of the Australian public.

Senator Hanson says the burqa poses an unacceptable security risk.

“In light of our national security of this nation, will you work with me to actually ban the burqa in Australia considering there have been 13 foiled national threats against us with terrorism, three that have been successful that Australians have lost their lives,’ she told the Senate last Thursday.

“Terrorism is a true threat to our country. Many Australians are in fear of it. What I would like to ask on behalf of the Australian people, considering there has been a large majority of Australians wish to see the banning of the burqa.”

In April this year the burqa was at the center of another Australian controversy when artist Fabian Muir used his Urban Burqa project to put the garment in an assortment of places and then photograph it. As Breitbart Jerusalem reported, the BBC said Mr. Muir’s Urban Burqa was a critique of “the rising far right and Islamophobia” in general and Australians who feel that immigration from Islamic countries delivers less than desirable outcomes in particular.

 A YouGov poll in Britain last year found 57 per cent support for a public ban on the outfit.

Follow Simon Kent on Twitter: Follow @SunSimonKent or e-mail to: skent@breitbart.com