Duo agrees to burqa session

ERIN PEARSON
GEELONG organisers of a controversial Ban the Burqa protest have agreed to meet women who wear the cover-all Islamic garment.
Bradley Hutchinson said he and Kye Keating had agreed to a challenge on morning television show Sunrise to speak with burqa wearers.
“If they (Sunrise) can find a rational, open person, sure thing we’ll meet with them,” Mr Hutchinson said.
Mr Hutchinson told the Independent last week that he and Mr Keating started their Ban the Burqa Facebook page to stop wearers concealing their identities in public.
They arranged a Ban the Burqa protest last Monday.
The pair denied bigotry was behind the protest but attracted criticism from Geelong’s peak multicultural services provider, Diversitat.
Mr Hutchinson called the “public safety protest” a success.
“The protest went pretty well, with a lot of stories about trips to shopping centres and banks and such.
“The few Muslims I’ve spoken to have been angry, irrational and as racist as they accuse me of being.”
Mr Hutchinson said media outlets across Australia had inundated him and Mr Keating with requests for interviews, while their Facebook page had grown to more than 20,000 members.
Mr Hutchinson maintained his criticism of the burqa as a symbol of reluctance to integrate.
Diversitat chief executive officer Michael Martinez hoped the meeting with burqa wearers would educate Mr Hutchinson and Mr Keating.
“It’s a good idea they meet these women to find out their cultural and religions beliefs,” Mr Martinez said.