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| Australian Premier Urges Review of Seating Rule for Women in Face Veils | Australian Premier Urges Review of Seating Rule for Women in Face Veils |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| SYDNEY, Australia — Prime Minister Tony Abbott of Australia asked the speaker of the House of Representatives on Friday to reconsider a decision to make women who wear face-covering veils sit in segregated areas of Parliament’s public galleries. | |
| The Department of Parliamentary Services, the building’s housekeepers, who would normally tend to leaky taps and squeaky door hinges, issued a statement late Thursday saying that “persons with facial coverings” entering the House of Representatives and the Senate would be “seated in the enclosed galleries.” | The Department of Parliamentary Services, the building’s housekeepers, who would normally tend to leaky taps and squeaky door hinges, issued a statement late Thursday saying that “persons with facial coverings” entering the House of Representatives and the Senate would be “seated in the enclosed galleries.” |
| “This will ensure that persons with facial coverings can continue to enter the chamber galleries without needing to be identifiable,” the statement said. | “This will ensure that persons with facial coverings can continue to enter the chamber galleries without needing to be identifiable,” the statement said. |
| Those enclosed galleries are often used by visiting schoolchildren to watch parliamentary proceedings. The speaker of the House, Bronwyn Bishop, and the president of the Senate, Stephen Parry, made the decision jointly, and the statement was issued “in light of the increased threat environment.” The government raised the terrorism alert level to high on Sept. 12, and the police conducted predawn terrorism raids in Brisbane and Sydney around the same time. | Those enclosed galleries are often used by visiting schoolchildren to watch parliamentary proceedings. The speaker of the House, Bronwyn Bishop, and the president of the Senate, Stephen Parry, made the decision jointly, and the statement was issued “in light of the increased threat environment.” The government raised the terrorism alert level to high on Sept. 12, and the police conducted predawn terrorism raids in Brisbane and Sydney around the same time. |
| Mr. Abbott said at a news conference on Friday that he had asked Mrs. Bishop to reconsider. He noted that the measure was an “interim decision” made while a fuller investigation of security at Parliament was reviewed. | Mr. Abbott said at a news conference on Friday that he had asked Mrs. Bishop to reconsider. He noted that the measure was an “interim decision” made while a fuller investigation of security at Parliament was reviewed. |
| “In public areas of this building, people ought to be allowed to wear what they want,” Mr. Abbott said. “In secure areas of this building, obviously people need to be identifiable, and that normally includes having your face visible.” | “In public areas of this building, people ought to be allowed to wear what they want,” Mr. Abbott said. “In secure areas of this building, obviously people need to be identifiable, and that normally includes having your face visible.” |
| Tim Soutphommasane, the member of the Australian Human Rights Commission responsible for monitoring racial discrimination, expressed alarm at the decision of the Department of Parliamentary Services. “I saw no good reason to be putting Muslim women in burqa or niqab in a designated glass area,” he said. “No one should be portrayed as a second-class citizen, not least in their own Parliament.” | Tim Soutphommasane, the member of the Australian Human Rights Commission responsible for monitoring racial discrimination, expressed alarm at the decision of the Department of Parliamentary Services. “I saw no good reason to be putting Muslim women in burqa or niqab in a designated glass area,” he said. “No one should be portrayed as a second-class citizen, not least in their own Parliament.” |
| Mariam Veiszadeh, a lawyer and founder of Islamophobia Register Australia, said legislation already existed to ensure that Muslim women identified themselves, discreetly and appropriately. “This is hysterical, dog-whistling politics,” Ms. Veiszadeh said. | Mariam Veiszadeh, a lawyer and founder of Islamophobia Register Australia, said legislation already existed to ensure that Muslim women identified themselves, discreetly and appropriately. “This is hysterical, dog-whistling politics,” Ms. Veiszadeh said. |
| The debate over wearing face-obscuring garments in Australia, which has a Muslim population of about 500,000, has been gathering pace. Some politicians, particularly Senator Cory Bernardi of Mr. Abbott’s center-right Liberal Party, have called for a ban on the burqa. | The debate over wearing face-obscuring garments in Australia, which has a Muslim population of about 500,000, has been gathering pace. Some politicians, particularly Senator Cory Bernardi of Mr. Abbott’s center-right Liberal Party, have called for a ban on the burqa. |
| At a news conference on Wednesday to announce the appointment of the new federal police commissioner, Andrew Colvin, Mr. Abbott linked the burqa to security issues at the Parliament building. | At a news conference on Wednesday to announce the appointment of the new federal police commissioner, Andrew Colvin, Mr. Abbott linked the burqa to security issues at the Parliament building. |
| “I have said before that I find it a fairly confronting form of attire,” Mr. Abbott said. “Frankly, I wish it was not worn, but we are a free country, we are a free society.” | “I have said before that I find it a fairly confronting form of attire,” Mr. Abbott said. “Frankly, I wish it was not worn, but we are a free country, we are a free society.” |
| But the prime minister, often shown on national television wearing skimpy Speedo swimwear after emerging from the surf, attracted criticism of his own. Tanya Plibersek, deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, spoke out against the sight of Mr. Abbott in a Speedo. | But the prime minister, often shown on national television wearing skimpy Speedo swimwear after emerging from the surf, attracted criticism of his own. Tanya Plibersek, deputy leader of the opposition Labor Party, spoke out against the sight of Mr. Abbott in a Speedo. |
| Mr. Abbott said he was certain the issue would be resolved before Parliament resumes on Oct. 20. | Mr. Abbott said he was certain the issue would be resolved before Parliament resumes on Oct. 20. |