"I hesitate to respond to remarks like these because doing so risks giving further oxygen to sentiments that should have no place in our public debate, he said. But comments that single out and diminish any community have real and lasting impacts. Australia's Muslim communities - like all our communities - deserve to feel safe, respected and included. Public figures have a responsibility to elevate our national conversation, not inflame tensions, divide us or undermine the dignity of others."
"This statement from Pauline was divisive, inflammatory, he said. Totally un-Australian, for someone to say that of all those Australians who are Muslim, there's no good people among them. Clearly, I think she went too far, and now she won't apologise because she doesn't do that, Canavan said. She's not fit to lead a major political party with these types of ill-disciplined statements that she won't correct that insult hundreds of thousands of Australians."
"You say, Well, there's good Muslims out there.' How can you tell me there are good Muslims?"
Pauline Hanson made inflammatory comments targeting Australian Muslims while discussing Australian women and children stuck in Syria, questioning whether there are "good Muslims." Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman condemned the remarks, warned they give oxygen to harmful sentiments, and said such statements have real and lasting impacts on communities. Sivaraman demanded that Hanson withdraw the remarks and apologise, stressing that Muslim communities deserve safety, respect and inclusion and that public figures must not inflame tensions. Nationals senator Matt Canavan also denounced the comments as divisive and "totally un-Australian," saying Hanson is unfit to lead a major party. Hanson later walked back some comments on ABC radio.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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