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Senator Fraser Anning launches anti-Muslim tirade on Twitter over Sri Lanka tragedy

Controversial senator Fraser Anning has had a crack at ‘Egg Boy’ as he fired off another round of anti-Muslim immigration tweets in the wake of the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.

Egg Boy: Breaks his silence

Controversial senator Fraser Anning has revived “dangerous” and “inflammatory” anti-Muslim immigration remarks in the wake of the deadly Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka.

The Queensland senator, who was censured by the Senate for his racist remarks in the wake of the Christchurch massacre, also hit out at “Egg Boy” following Sunday’s attack, which has so far claimed almost 300 lives.

“Almost 300 dead due to Islamic terrorists in Sri Lanka. Where is egg boy now?” Senator Anning wrote on Twitter overnight.

EGG BOY BREAKS SILENCE

A Sri Lankan cabinet minister on Monday said an intelligence briefing had named Islamic extremist group National Thowheeth Jama’ath as planning suicide bomb attacks on churches but no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Senator Anning has seized on the information, saying: “I am warning that if we continue to import Muslims into our country we will have more terrorist attacks, as has been proven time and time again.”

The senator added that the “horrific tragedy” should prompt Australia to offer assistance to the family of Australian woman Manik Suriyaaratchi and her 10-year-old daughter, Alexendria, who were killed in the bombings.

His attempt to stir controversy following the Christchurch massacre was widely condemned in parliament earlier this month and also prompted Melbourne teenager Will Connolly to crack an egg on his head.

Senator Anning was accused of blaming the 50 victims, who were gunned down while attending services at two mosques by a right-wing extremist.

“The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration program which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place,” Senator Anning wrote in a media release at the time.

Senator Fraser Anning, bottom right, has launched a spray on Twitter over the Sri Lanka Easter massacre. Picture: AP
Senator Fraser Anning, bottom right, has launched a spray on Twitter over the Sri Lanka Easter massacre. Picture: AP

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann dubbed his remarks “inflammatory”, “divisive”, “appalling” and “dangerous”, saying: “The Australian people rightly expect this parliament stand in solidarity with our New Zealand cousins following the monstrous attack in Christchurch, which is absolutely right to censure Senator Anning and anyone else within our community who seeks to use horrific tragedy like this one as an opportunity to vilify and divide people based on their religious belief.”

Labor frontbencher Penny Wong said it was a “shameful and pathetic attempt by a bloke who has never been elected to get attention by exploiting diversity”.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison condemned the Sri Lanka bombings and offered his condolences to Australian father Sudesh Kolonne, whose wife and daughter were killed in the attack.

Heartbreaking image. Hundreds were killed in the Easter Sunday blasts, including at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, north of Colombo. Picture: AP
Heartbreaking image. Hundreds were killed in the Easter Sunday blasts, including at St. Sebastian's Church in Negombo, north of Colombo. Picture: AP

Mr Morrison said he would be speaking to Mr Kolonne later on Tuesday to offer support.

“It is just the most sickening of news,” he told Channel Seven’s Sunrise.

“I can’t imagine what it’s like for him to lose a little 10-year-old girl, to lose his wife Manik.

“His whole world has been rocked by these events. We just have to reach out and hold them and hold each other as Australians.”

Alexendria was born in Melbourne and the family lived in the city’s southeast but had returned to Sri Lanka in recent years.

The Prime Minister said there was still no evidence of who was responsible for the blasts which targeted hotels and churches on Easter Sunday.

“This is just such horrible news,” he told Sky News.

Two Australians — both of whom were dual citizens — were also injured but are in a stable condition, with one treated for shrapnel wounds and the other a broken leg.

Mr Morrison said the pair would receive consular support but he had no information about other Australians hurt.

More than 500 people have been injured in the bomb blasts that ripped through three churches, three luxury hotels and a guesthouse on Easter Sunday. Labor leader Bill Shorten has described the attacks as devastating.

“Easter Sunday’s senseless and barbaric murder of hundreds of citizens, including two Australians and 500 injured, is something we should all mourn and we do,” he told reporters in Townsville.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/federal-election/senator-fraser-anning-launches-antimuslim-tirade-on-twitter-over-sri-lanka-tragedy/news-story/bd3bcf7883031d09aade44b295847da4