Aussies pay $20k for Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s artists’ residency in Paris

Outspoken Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the Australian public purse to spend half a year writing a book in Paris.

Controversial Muslim activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied has been handed $20,000 from the public purse to spend six months writing a book - and not even on home soil.

Instead, taxpayers will pay for the outspoken Sudanese-Australian to spend half a year at an artists’ studio in Paris next year.

The Australia Council for the Arts awarded the hefty sum to the 28-year-old under the “international development”.

Abdel-Magid, who fled to London in 2017 after a series of controversies including an Anzac Day tweet that caused national outcry, plans to write a nonfiction book.

Author Yassmin Abdel-Magied has received $20,000 for a artists’ residency in Paris. Picture: Chris Pavlich

The activist who once described herself as “Australia’s most hated Muslim” announced she had received the grant on Twitter.

“To be honest when applying, I wondered if the panel would take into account the blowback they would get for awarding me a grant and elect not to because of it,’ she wrote.

“It actually blew me away that despite knowing it would annoy folk, I was still fortunate enough to be awarded the opportunity.

“I guess there is some hope, hay? Things aren’t so black and white / straightforward with my relationship with Australia, but I’m always actually grateful that I am a citizen of a country where opportunities like this are available.”

She then quipped: “I’m gonna have to write a banger of a book now, aren’t I!”

Abdel-Magid’s project was among 186 others who received a share of $6.5 million from The Australia Council’s latest round of grants.

Yassmin Abdel-Magied once described herself as “Australia’s most hated Muslim”. Picture Kym Smith

She prompted outrage in 2017 when she used Anzac Day as a chance to post about refugee camps.

“Lest we forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine)”, she tweeted at the time.

She later apologised, but seven months later, she again found herself in hot water after tweeting on Remembrance Day: “#LestWeForget (Manus)”.

MORE NEWS:

Meghan loses ninth aide as dad defends interview

ANZ cuts rates on savings and home loans

‘Violent encounters’: Weinstein rape trial opens

Coronavirus fears grow as flight is due for Sydney

Abdel-Magid at the time said the backlash from the posts caused her to feel “betrayed by my own country”.

She left for London that same year, where she has been based since.

Originally published as Aussies pay $20k for Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s artists’ residency in Paris