A trailblazing Muslim MP says better awareness of the sustained racist abuse some endure could help parliaments look more like Australia's streets and suburbs.
Mehreen Faruqi addressed the NSW upper house for the final time on Tuesday evening, telling colleagues she'd been subjected to "toxic, racist and sexist trolling" in her five years in parliament.
Dr Faruqi became the first Muslim woman elected to an Australian parliament in 2013 and will soon become the nation's first female Muslim senator.
Her valedictory speech coincidentally came minutes after future colleague Fraser Anning claimed during his maiden speech in the Senate that most Australian Muslims live on welfare and all Muslim immigration should end.
Pakistan-born Dr Faruqi thanked the Greens and the NSW community for the trust they had placed in a "migrant, Muslim woman with an accent" in getting her to parliament.
But she noted constant abuse was directed her way "not because of what I'm doing but because of who I am, where I come from and the colour of my skin.
"No matter how much I brush it aside, it does take its toll," she said.
She urged all to be more aware of the sustained abuse "some of us" have to weather.
"This might go some way to helping encourage others like me to put their hand up and make this chamber look a bit more like the streets and suburbs of the country we live in," Dr Faruqi said.
"It troubles me that ordinary citizens in a democratic society feel disempowered to pursue political positions.
"This must change.
"Those of us that are already here are responsible for behaving in a manner that encourages people to make the same journey as us, no matter where they come from, their economic capacity, social standing, the colour of their skin, their religion, sexuality or gender identity."
Dr Faruqi, a civil engineer by training, also spoke of the frustration of seeing evidence-backed policy discarded to satisfy a narrow political agenda, citing the flow of public money to the gambling industry and "cruel greyhound racing" among numerous examples.
She will take up the Greens' sole NSW Senate seat after the resignation of Lee Rhiannon.
Australian Associated Press
