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A resurgent Pauline Hanson has called for an end to Muslim immigration to Australia in a fiery television appearance peppered with references to female genital mutilation, terrorism and urinating on Bibles.
Ms Hanson, the 53-year-old former One Nation leader, appeared on Nine's TODAY to promote her new Pauline's United Australia Party.
"I'm very discriminated against in my own country," she told hosts Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson.
"Where Christmas carols aren't sung in our schools or Christmas carols played in our shopping centres … it's about time Australians stood up."
She called for a "moratorium" on Muslim immigration to Australia, often clashing with Stefanovic in a verbal joust which ended with the latter accusing Ms Hanson of "playing the race card".
"Karl, I think you should get out from behind your desk and speak to ordinary Australians," Ms Hanson said in response.
"Maybe if we look actually at the female genital mutilation that happens to young girls in this country. I think it's absolutely atrocious, it's digusting, if people want to live like that they can go back to Muslim countries … this is Australia."
Ms Hanson confirmed that terrorism and security were key reasons behind her proposed ban on Muslim immigration.
She also referred to a 2006 incident where two boys were expelled from an Islamic school in Melbourne for urinating on a Bible, and Sheik al-Hilali's infamous comparison of women in Western clothes to "uncovered meat".
"I'm very concerned about [Australia changing]. I'm sick of people coming out here and saying our girls are like the meat market, or you have the Bible that's urinated on. Am I supposed to just forget about it?"
SOURCE: ninemsn
AUTHOR: Hal Crawford
URL: Click here
DATE: 17/08/2007