Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help finance the racial vilification case she has brought against Pauline Hanson, saying “race hate in Australia is only getting worse”.
Faruqi launched legal action against Hanson in the federal court in May, after the One Nation leader told the Greens senator to “pack [her] bags and piss off back to Pakistan” in a tweet, in response to Faruqi’s thoughts on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Hanson has said she will fight the racial vilification claim, arguing freedom of political speech.
In her court statement, Faruqi claimed she had been “been subject to a torrent of abusive phone calls, social media posts and hate mail (including death threats, misogynistic and racially and sexually violent content).”
In her message to supporters, Faruqi said taking the matter to court was about “holding [Hanson] accountable for her actions”.
“My resolve to hold Senator Pauline Hanson to account only got stronger when so many people who have felt the sear of racism got in touch to lend their support after her tweet,” Faruqi told Guardian Australia.
“We’ve all had more than enough of being racially vilified and then gaslighted when we speak up against it.
“For everyone who’s been told to go back to where they came from, who has been subjected to discrimination due to their skin colour, who’s had to endure racist remarks, or been looked over for a job or promotion – this fight is for all of us.”
Hanson has previously announced her own fundraising initiatives to help fund her defence against Faruqi’s case, which includes selling knitted jumpers.
Faruqi said money raised by her GoFundMe would be used for legal costs and paying any costs to Hanson if her case is unsuccessful.
If successful, Faruqi has committed to donating surplus money after legal fees to the Sweatshop Literacy Movement in western Sydney. All names and donations to the crowdfunder will be declared in Faruqi’s parliamentary statement of interests once the court case has concluded.
Faruqi lodged her complaint with the federal court and said if successful, she wants Hanson to make a $150,000 donation to the Sweatshop Literacy Movement, undertake anti-racism training at her own cost and to publish a new tweet saying she had used offensive language. She is also asking the court to restrain Hanson from making similar comments in the future.
Hanson has previously vowed to fight the complaint “even if that requires taking the matter to the high court”.
Hanson has hired Bret Walker and Sue Chrysanthou to defend her against Faruqi’s complaint, in what is shaping up as a potential defining case for section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act.
In her a statement to the court in defence of Faruqi’s complaint, Hanson’s legal team contends that sections 18C and 18D of the racial discrimination act breach the implied constitutional right to freedom of political speech. The federal court can not decide constitutional matters, only whether there has been a breach of the legislation or not.
Hanson avoided a rare censure motion by the Senate last month, after she withdrew “unparliamentary” comments she made to Faruqi during a parliamentary debate, including that she would take Faruqi “to the airport and put you on a plane and wave you away”.
Hanson was temporarily gagged from speaking in the Senate after she originally refused multiple requests from the Senate president to withdraw the comments, saying she would need time to think about it, and offering Faruqi a “tissue”.
Faruqi said she was taking the federal court action “on behalf of any person who has suffered at the hands of racism in Australia”.
“Now more than ever is the time to strengthen our push against racism and defend legal protections for people who are subjected to racial discrimination in our country.”
