Jacqui Lambie refuses to back down from call for sharia law supporters to leave Australia

SHE denies she has a problem with Muslims, but Jacqui Lambie is sticking by her call to ban the burqa while claiming Sharia law involves terrorism.

Jacquie Lambie

SHE claims she doesn’t have a problem with Muslims, but Jacqui Lambie is still refusing to back away from her call for Sharia law supporters to get out of Australia.

The outspoken Palmer United Party Senator believes the Islamic legal system “obviously involves terrorism” and its followers need to instead follow Australian law “100 per cent”.

“If you are not going to show your allegiance to our constitution and to Australian law, then get out,” she told ABC’s Insiders program this morning

She is also sticking by her push to ban the burqa headdress, arguing it is a security risk.

“I believe it is a national security issue,” she said.

“It is just like anything else, it is like a motorbike helmet. It’s like a balaclava. I will not allow you to wear that into my office because it is a security risk.”

People should be able to show their faces and “they shouldn’t feel that they need to be oppressed, to be able to hide their faces,” she said.

“I think that’s the way for the future of Australia.”

No problem ... Jacqui Lambie denies she has a problem with Muslims. Picture: Sam Rosewarne/News Corp.

While denying she has a “problem with Muslims”, the Senator defended her decision to post a photo online of the first female police officer in Kandahar who was murdered by the Taliban, while calling for the headdress to be banned.

The Senator has been criticised for sharing the image on her Facebook page, originally posted by the far right group Britain First.

“What I was showing people is how heroic she was,” she claimed of the picture of Malalai Kakar, shown wearing a burqa and holding a gun.

“I am choosing this woman because she is a bloody hero. What she done was extremely heroic and she should always be remembered for that.”

Need to leave ... Sharia law supporters need to leave Australia, according to Jacqui Lambie. Picture: Kym Smith/News Corp.

Senator Lambie also said she “absolutely” stood by her call for Sharia law supporters to pack their bags and leave Australia.

When asked what she understands Sharia law to mean, the PUP Senator said it “obviously involves terrorism”.

“It involves a power that is not a healthy power.”

You can’t follow both Sharia law and Australian law, she claimed.

“You can’t have 50-50.”

“You are saying, though, if they follow their faith, they have no place in Australia?” Barry Cassidy asked.

“That’s what I’m saying, yes. If you are an extremist towards Sharia law, you have no place in Australia,” Senator Lambie responded.

The former soldier said the government was“heading in the right direction” tackling the issue of terrorism at home.

“It needs to go in hard and fast.”

The Coalition will have her support for legislation to beef up counter-terror laws, to be debated this week.

“They can certainly rely on me,” she said.

Originally published as Jacqui Lambie refuses to back down from call for sharia law supporters to leave Australia