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The Muslim students who traded ideas with Pauline Hanson as part of an hour-long filmed interview in early July have revealed why they sat down with the controversial senator.
Hanson visited the Islamic College of Brisbane and spoke with the three high-achieving female students as part of a Seven Spotlight special tracking the One Nation leader’s self-described “fact-finding mission” to the UK.
Year 12 student Maryam and year 10 student Nabiha – who was grilled by Hanson over her religious face covering – told ABC Brisbane they wanted to directly probe Hanson’s anti-Muslim rhetoric, such as her push for a “monoculture” and claims there are “no good Muslims”.
“I’ve honestly grown tired of her just berating us and saying we’re bad and what we’re doing is absolutely wrong without anybody hearing our side of the story,” Nabiha said.
“I wanted to be the one to actually tell her, ‘no, what you’re saying is not exactly true about us … this is what we really are’.”
Maryam said she did not come into the interview with another agenda, saying she had no desire to “be prime minister” – instead hoping to study medicine in university next year.
“I just want people to hear my story and what I’m representing: other young women and Muslim women in general,” she said.
“I just really think it’s important for Australians to hear our voice.”
While the interview between the senator and school lasted more than one hour, just under eight minutes of the entire school visit went to air.
Among the material left on the cutting room floor were questions from the school’s chief executive, Ali Kadri, about Hanson’s decision to criticise foreign flags while wearing an Israeli flag.
Speaking to this masthead, Kadri said he was disappointed more of the interview could not be shown.
“Every single minute was important, and it failed to provide the whole context of that conversation,” he said.
“The senator asked some quite hostile questions and wasn’t able to take the response properly, so I don’t think eight minutes was a true reflection of what actually occurred.”
Maryam said she suspected the One Nation leader “wasn’t really listening to us at all” for much of the meeting.
“I was going in with an open mind and honestly hoping that Pauline would have an open mind as well … Keeping a respectful manner with her was really my main goal,” the year 12 student said.
“I don’t know why she came to our school.”
Kadri said the students had been briefed ahead of the interview, and provided with support afterwards.
He said the school was still waiting for a copy of the full recording from Seven, which he hoped to use as a learning in humanities classes, such as civics.
Kadri reiterated calls for Hanson to return to the school, although he said he did not expect her views had changed following the interview.
“It’s completely up to her, our doors are open,” he said.
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