Yassmin awarded free speech prize

Yassmin Abdel-Magied wins a prestigious prize for free speech for being a “role model” to young women, Muslims and migrants.

Outspoken activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied. Picture: Supplied

Outspoken activist Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who spectacularly claimed to be the “most hated” Muslim in the country before moving to London last year, has won a prestigious prize for free speech.

Human rights group Liberty Victoria yesterday announced that Ms Abdel-Magied had been awarded the 2018 Young Voltaire Award for being a “role model” to young women, Muslims and migrants.

Actor and same-sex marriage activist Magda Szubanski has been awarded the 2018 Voltaire award, following in the footsteps of former Australian Rights Commission president Gillian Triggs, television presenter Waleed Aly and journalist David Marr.

“I won an award for Free Speech y’all,” Ms Abdel-Magied announced on Twitter yesterday.

“This one is for all those young Muslims and POC [people of colour] in Aus [sic] and around the world who know their equality is conditional, but know they need to speak anyway.”

“And for all of those who tried to silence me ... Eat your hearts out.”

This one is for all those young Muslims and POC in Aus and around the world who know their equality is conditional, but know they need to speak anyway. I got your back, y’all.

— Yassmin Abdel-Magied (@yassmin_a) March 19, 2018

And for all of those who tried to silence me...

Eat your hearts out 😉 pic.twitter.com/5HQgXLIy0m

— Yassmin Abdel-Magied (@yassmin_a) March 19, 2018

Ms Abdel-Magied, an engineer-turned-television presenter, moved to London in September after months of courting controversy. Last April she was accused of disrespecting war veterans with her social media post: “Lest. We. Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria, Palestine…)”.

A few months earlier she was involved in a fiery exchange with Senator Jackie Lambie on ABC’s Q&A program and declared Islam “the most feminist religion”.

The prize, which offers no money, comes only weeks after Australia’s Human Rights Commission dropped a complaint against her.

Liberty Victoria president Jessie Taylor said Ms Abdel-Magied was a “worthy winner”.

“Yassmin is sometimes provocative, but the hate she receives is despicable and disproportionate,” she said.

“Despite being on the receiving end of personal attacks and threats of death and sexual violence, Yassmin courageously continues to give voice to a cross section of society that is not well-represented in media or in public debate.”

The Institute of Public Affairs, a conservative think-tank, hit out at Liberty Victoria for giving Ms Abdel-Magied a prize for free speech.

“I’m struggling to recall anything Ms Abdel-Magied has done to defend freedom of speech.” IPA director of policy Simon Breheny said.

Mr Breheny also said Liberty Victoria were a “fraudulent outfit” for not standing up for victims of anti-free speech laws.

“Where was Liberty Victoria when Bill Leak was being chastised by the Australian Human Rights Commission? Where were these so-called defenders of free expression when several QUT students were being subjected to a secret trial?” he said.

“Instead of defending the victims, this fraudulent outfit last year gave its freedom of speech award to the perpetrator of these injustices, Gillian Triggs.”