Labor has called on other political parties to join it in condemning a series of ‘racist’ flyers targeting WA MP Anne Aly which have been spread around her electorate of Cowan.
The flyers open by referring to Ms Aly by her original Egyptian-born name, Azza Mahmoud Fawzi Hosseini Ali el Serougi, and then go on to say that she voted for the Greens, opposed border protection and advocates for laws banning criticism of Islam “just like Saudi Arabia”.
The flyers have no identifying marks, and no group or party has claimed responsibility for their distribution.
Spokeswoman for Labor’s WA campaign, Madeleine King, said that the flyers were a “racist” and “personal” attack that needed to be “condemned with the strongest possible language”.
She said that the appalling nature of the flyers showed what happens “when people get desperate” and attempt to “spread misinformation and fear in the community.”
Dr Aly was the first Muslim woman to be elected to Parliament. She was meant to run as a Greens senate candidate in 2007 but pulled out prior to election day.
Regarding the accusations of voting against border security, Ms King said that Labor “have exactly the same position as the Government”.
She urged people to simply bin the flyers if they see any.