TASMANIAN Palmer United Party Senator Jacqui Lambie has hit back at claims she desecrated the memory of a murdered Afghan police woman, saying the criticism was a ‘‘gross overreaction’’.
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The photographer of an image shared on social media by Senator Lambie as part of an online campaign to ‘‘ban the burqa’’ told the ABC she was ‘‘deeply insulted’’ by the misappropriation of her image of Malalai Kakar, Kandahar’s first female police officer, in service of an anti-burqa agenda.
Photographer Lana Slezic said the misuse of the photo was appalling.
But Senator Lambie said the comments were a gross over-reaction.
‘‘Such was this photographer’s venom, anyone reading the ABC story could be forgiven for thinking it was me who gunned down the Afghan policewoman,’’ Senator Lambie said.
‘‘This policewoman fought for freedom against the sharia extremists, so I would have thought part of her fight was for the right for Afghan women not to wear a burqa.
‘‘If there was a reason why this brave woman was shot, my guess is that it was because she chose to defy the sharia extremists and submit to their threats and dressed without their burqa.’’
Senator Lambie returned to the national spotlight again yesterday when she told ABC Insiders host Barrie Cassidy that sharia law meant terrorism.
Fairfax media cites sharia as influencing the legal code in most Muslim countries and includes regulations to do with all aspects of Muslim life including daily routines, religious and family obligations, marriage and financial dealings.
But extremist groups such as Islamic State, which an international coalition is being formed to fight in Iraq, have become notorious for implementing hard-line aspects of sharia, including stonings and executions.
‘‘When it comes to sharia law, to me, it obviously involves terrorism," Senator Lambie said.
‘‘If you’re an extremist in sharia law, then you’ve got no place in Australia,’’ she said.
Senator Lambie she said she ‘‘didn’t have a problem with Muslims".
‘‘I have a problem with extremists and sharia law,’’ she said.