Updated
The Deputy Prime Minister has defended Country Liberals candidate Jacinta Price for sharing an online video that labelled Islam “barbaric”, saying she was standing up for Muslim women.
Key points:
- Nationals leader says Jacinta Price is someone who stands up for people who are oppressed
- In the video interview, psychologist Wafa Sultan labels Islamic culture “primitive” and “barbaric”
- Jacinta Price said the ABC should be ashamed for its reporting on the post
Michael McCormack was asked about a video shared on Ms Price’s personal Facebook page five years ago, which claims to contain the “naked truth about Islam”.
It features an interview with psychologist and commentator Dr Wafa Sultan, who contrasts western societies with the “backwardness” of Muslims.
Nationals leader Mr McCormack told reporters Ms Price was a person who stands up for people who are oppressed, especially women.
“She’ll stand up and she’s not frightened to say what she thinks,” he said.
“That’s the sort of person you want in parliament — you don’t want shrinking violets.
“You want people who speak their minds, who say what they mean and mean what they say.”
Mr McCormack said those qualities would make Ms Price a good advocate for the Northern Territory in Canberra.
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Ms Price, who is running against Labor incumbent Warren Snowdon in the massive NT seat of Lingiari, said the ABC should be ashamed for reporting on the post.
“I shared the opinion of a woman who is a Muslim woman who is providing her opinion as to how she feels she is treated in her own religion,” she said.
“I’m an Aboriginal woman who has stood up to talk about how I feel about the issues within my own culture.
“Does that make me racist as well to talk about the issues in my own culture that I believe are oppressive towards Aboriginal women? Is that such a crime to do that?”
She asked if the National Imams Council, which said the video demonised all Muslims and fostered hatred “had asked any women what they feel about it”.
The Islamic Council of the NT offered to work with Ms Price to clarify her understanding of Islam.
CLP slams ‘double standard’ in candidate treatment
Retiring Northern Territory senator Nigel Scullion said the questioning of Ms Price was a “double standard”, after the Greens’ candidate for Lingiari, George Hanna, was not disendorsed for calling Ms Price a “coconut” in a social media post.
Senator Scullion said it was “the most disgraceful thing you can call an Aboriginal person”.
“You should be asking bloody [Greens leader Richard] Di Natale about why they, the Greens, the so-called perfect hand-wringers, are able to go and call my mate Jacinta Price a coconut,” he said.
“They should be bloody ashamed for themselves.”
Mr Hanna acknowledged the post was derogatory and apologised, but is still running.
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