‘You’re not wanted here’: Katter backs Anning’s attack on Muslims
The leader of Katter's Australian Party pleads ignorance on Fraser Anning's behalf. Photo: AAP
Bob Katter, Fraser Anning’s party boss, has launched an extraordinary attack on Muslims, in defence of his Senator’s “magnificent” anti-Muslim speech.
Mr Katter told reporters on Wednesday that his Australian Party, which counts Senator Anning as a member, was proudly anti-Muslim.
“Get out of this country. You’re not wanted here. This country will belong to Allahu Akbar,” he said.
“God would be ashamed if his name was used by these extremists and there’s no good people coming out from these countries. We can’t afford to take the risks any more.”
He went on: “Fraser is dead right. We do not want people coming in from the Middle East or North Africa unless they’re the persecuted minorities. Why aren’t you bringing in the Seikhs? Why aren’t you bringing in the Christians? Why aren’t you bringing in the Jews?”
Mr Katter was responding to Senator Anning’s maiden speech on Tuesday night, in which he called for Australian migrants to “predominantly reflect the historic European-Christian composition of Australian society” and urged a ban on new Muslim entrants.
Senator Anning then urged the “final solution” of a public vote on whether Muslims should be allowed into the country – a phrase used in Nazi Germany to describe mass killings of Jews.
Mr Katter described the speech as “wonderful”, “solid gold” and “absolutely magnificent”.
“I love it. It’s
“The record of Muslims who have already come to this country in terms of rates of crime, welfare dependency, and terrorism are the worst of any migrant,” Fraser Anning said in his maiden speech. Photo: AAP
Senator Anning had mistakenly used the Nazi term ‘final solution’ because he “didn’t go to university” and had not “read all the history books”, Mr Katter said.
“Fraser Anning is a knockabout sort of bloke … He’s smart, but he hasn’t read all the history books. He doesn’t know what any of this means. And nor will he spend any time finding out.”
He added that Senator Anning was “quite stunned” to learn the phrase had Nazi connotations.
“One of my officers … went white with terror. He didn’t realise, like I trod on a land mine,” Mr Katter said.
Mr Katter also said Liberal Josh Frydenberg, who is Jewish, should be “ashamed to call himself a member of his own race and his own religious persuasion” because his party supports Muslim migration.
“His party is
Senator Anning’s speech has been roundly criticised by all almost all parties in Parliament.
Labor leader Bill Shorten moved a motion to condemn the comments, which was passed.
“[Final solution is] a phrase torn from the darkest pages of human history,” Mr Shorten told Parliament.
“Two words which speak for the brutalisation and murder of millions, two words that evoke fear, grief and trauma and loss.”
He added the comments should not be dismissed as “a piece of Twitter stupidity composed in haste” because it was a maiden speech “nine months in the making”.
In supporting the motion, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said “those who try to demonise Muslims because of the crimes of a tiny minority are only helping the terrorists”.
Mr Frydenberg and Labor’s Ed Husic, a practising Muslim, hugged after Mr Shorten’s motion passed.
One Nation leader Pauline Hanson said she was “appalled” by Senator Anning’s speech, despite the fact he was originally elected under her party banner before defecting.