Australia’s Islamophobia problem exposed by Muslim senator’s resignation over Palestine

Critics called Labor Party concerns over Fatima Payman seeking ‘God’s guidance’ in a vote to support Palestinian statehood ‘dog whistles’

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Australian Senator Fatima Payman in Canberra. She quit the ruling Labor Party over her refusal to toe the party line on Gaza. Photo: AP

Published: 8:00am, 10 Jul 2024Updated: 12:26pm, 10 Jul 2024

The resignation of Australia’s first hijab-wearing Senator Fatima Payman from the ruling Labor Party has laid bare the country’s deep-seated Islamophobia, as the young politician faced a torrent of intimidation and bullying from her own colleagues over her principled vote to recognise Palestinian statehood.

Payman’s defiant stance against her party’s official position put her on a collision course with the Labor government, which does not recognise Palestinian sovereignty but supports a two-state solution.

Amid growing domestic anger over Canberra’s approach to the Gaza crisis, the Afghan-born senator – whose family fled Afghanistan after the Taliban took over in 1996 – had spoken out in support of the Palestinian cause, even publishing an opinion piece in Al Jazeera before the fateful vote.

The backlash was swift and severe. Payman claims she was exiled by her Labor peers, who reportedly “leaked” to the national broadcaster that she had sought “God’s guidance” on the issue – a thinly-veiled attempt to portray her as an extremist.

Right-wing politicians, meanwhile, renewed warnings that Payman’s actions could foster a new “Muslim political party” and threaten Australia’s “social cohesion”.

Her decision to vote with the Greens to support a motion on Palestinian statehood late last month resulted in her suspension from the Labor caucus. She resigned from the party last week and is now an independent senator in parliament.