Ahead of Saturday’s polls, activists are campaigning for Australians not to vote for parties with Islamophobic agenda.
Senator Fraser Anning has been heavily criticised for a recent anti-Muslim Facebook post [File: Rod McGuirk/AP]
Melbourne, Australia – Members of Australia‘s Muslim community are so concerned about hate speech and Islamophobic messaging among 10 political parties, including Pauline Hanson’s far-right One Nation, they are urging people not to give them their vote when polling stations open on Saturday.
The Islamic Council of Victoria says voters should carry out their research before casting their ballots and has sent out hundreds of how-not-to-vote cards to voters, naming the 10 parties about which it is most concerned.
The Council says the parties named in its list, including Fraser Anning‘s Conservative National Party and the Australian Conservatives, all have anti-Muslim immigration policies.
It says it was shocked at the response, with many voters unaware of the policies behind the parties.
“In no way should you preference these people because these parties are Islamophobic,” said Adel Salman, vice president of the Islamic Council of Victoria. “They’re all about hate speech in the community.”
Some of these parties say they will regulate Australia’s mosques, ban Muslim immigration and end what they describe as the “Islamisation of Australia”.
The Australia First Party’s leaflets list abolishing multiculturalism and reducing immigration as two of their key policies. Al Jazeera requested comment from Australia First Party but did not receive a response by the time of publication.