Yassmin Abdel-Magied says Australia happy to accept those who 'toe the line'
Updated about an hour agoTue 11 Jul 2017, 7:54pm
Related Story: Joyce urges ABC to consider more action over Abdel-Magied Anzac Day comment
Related Story: Lambie takes on Islamic youth leader over sharia law
Related Story: How a 'brown Muslim girl's' life changed after September 11
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Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who has called herself the most "publicly hated Muslim in Australia", says she feels betrayed by her home country and that people in Australia are happy to accept you "as long as you toe the line".
Abdel-Magied, a mechanical engineer and writer who attracted controversy after trading barbs with Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie on Q&A earlier in the year, told Buzzfeed UK she felt that freedom of speech did not apply to her in Australia.
"In a country like Australia, people are very happy to accept you as long as you toe the line," she said.
Abdel-Magied, 26, said it was "exhausting" to be the subject of controversy in Australia.
"I feel a little bit betrayed by Australia, because it's my country and these are my country people and it's my home, and to sort of fight for your right to exist in your home country — it's exhausting," she said.
"It's funny that … freedom of speech doesn't really apply to the truth.
Photo: Yassmin Abdel-Magied has spoken out after announcing she would move to London. (Supplied: Daniel Boud)
"For me that was my truth, but I wasn't really allowed to say it and people were very upset, so it's taught me a lot."
Abdel-Magied got into the fiery exchange with Senator Lambie about sharia law in February, after a Q&A audience member asked if it was time to define new rules surrounding migration.
The Tasmanian senator said anyone who supported sharia law should be deported from Australia, before Abdel-Magied interjected with her frustration about people talking about Islam "without knowing anything about it".
She also said in her view Islam was "the most feminist religion", prompting heated discussion on social media.
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Video: Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Jacqui Lambie on Q&A (ABC News)
A few months after her Q&A appearance, Abdel-Magied attracted criticism for a post she made on Anzac Day which read "Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine…)".
She later deleted the post and issued an apology, but the comment sparked a severe backlash on social media and drew criticism from conservative politicians.
Abdel-Magied wrote in the Guardian last week that after Anzac Day she received death threats "on a daily basis" and that she was "now the most publicly hated Muslim in Australia".
"I've resorted to moving house, changing my phone number, deleting my social media apps," she wrote.
"The reality is the visceral nature of the fury — almost every time I share a perspective or make a statement in any forum — is more about who I am than about what is said."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-...-says-she-feels-betrayed-by-australia/8699138
Updated about an hour agoTue 11 Jul 2017, 7:54pm
Related Story: Joyce urges ABC to consider more action over Abdel-Magied Anzac Day comment
Related Story: Lambie takes on Islamic youth leader over sharia law
Related Story: How a 'brown Muslim girl's' life changed after September 11
Map: United Kingdom
Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who has called herself the most "publicly hated Muslim in Australia", says she feels betrayed by her home country and that people in Australia are happy to accept you "as long as you toe the line".
Abdel-Magied, a mechanical engineer and writer who attracted controversy after trading barbs with Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie on Q&A earlier in the year, told Buzzfeed UK she felt that freedom of speech did not apply to her in Australia.
"In a country like Australia, people are very happy to accept you as long as you toe the line," she said.
"And I had toed the line for 10 years in the public eye … and for some reason I decided that at that point that if I didn't say anything, who would?"
The former host of ABC's Australia Wide announced last week she was moving to London to partake in an "Aussie rite of passage", but has not specified her reasons for leaving.
Abdel-Magied, 26, said it was "exhausting" to be the subject of controversy in Australia.
"I feel a little bit betrayed by Australia, because it's my country and these are my country people and it's my home, and to sort of fight for your right to exist in your home country — it's exhausting," she said.
"It's funny that … freedom of speech doesn't really apply to the truth.
Photo: Yassmin Abdel-Magied has spoken out after announcing she would move to London. (Supplied: Daniel Boud) "For me that was my truth, but I wasn't really allowed to say it and people were very upset, so it's taught me a lot."
Abdel-Magied got into the fiery exchange with Senator Lambie about sharia law in February, after a Q&A audience member asked if it was time to define new rules surrounding migration.
The Tasmanian senator said anyone who supported sharia law should be deported from Australia, before Abdel-Magied interjected with her frustration about people talking about Islam "without knowing anything about it".
She also said in her view Islam was "the most feminist religion", prompting heated discussion on social media.
Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.
Australian Broadcasting Corporation ...
Other videos
01:15
00:00
04:47
High
Medium
Low
Other videos
Video: Yassmin Abdel-Magied and Jacqui Lambie on Q&A (ABC News)
A few months after her Q&A appearance, Abdel-Magied attracted criticism for a post she made on Anzac Day which read "Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine…)".
She later deleted the post and issued an apology, but the comment sparked a severe backlash on social media and drew criticism from conservative politicians.
Abdel-Magied wrote in the Guardian last week that after Anzac Day she received death threats "on a daily basis" and that she was "now the most publicly hated Muslim in Australia".
"I've resorted to moving house, changing my phone number, deleting my social media apps," she wrote.
"The reality is the visceral nature of the fury — almost every time I share a perspective or make a statement in any forum — is more about who I am than about what is said."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-...-says-she-feels-betrayed-by-australia/8699138
