Queensland Senator Fraser Anning has been slammed for his "disgusting" comments in the wake of the Christchurch mosque massacre.
In a media statement issued this afternoon, that has been widely condemned on social media, Senator Anning said the attacks highlighted the "growing fear over an increasing Muslim presence" in Australian and New Zealand communities.
He went on to claim the real cause of the bloodshed that has left at least 49 people dead is New Zealand's immigration policy.
Queensland Senator Fraser Anning.
"I am utterly opposed to any form of violence within our community, and I totally condemn the actions of the gunman," Senator Anning said.
"However, while this kind of violent vigilantism can never be justified, what it highlights is the growing fear within our community, both in Australia and New Zealand, of the increasing Muslim presence.
"As always, left-wing politicians and the media will rush to claim that the causes of today's shootings lie with gun laws or those who hold nationalist views but this is all clichéd nonsense.
"The real cause of bloodshed on New Zealand streets today is the immigration programme which allowed Muslim fanatics to migrate to New Zealand in the first place."
Part of Queensland Senator Fraser Anning's statement on today's horrific events.
Senator Anning went on to say that while Muslims may have been victims of attacks, he claimed they were also perpetrators, and blamed deaths on "the entire religion of Islam".
"It is the religious equivalent of fascism," he said.
He ended with a passage from the Bible and said those who followed a violent religion that called on them to murder "cannot be too surprised when someone takes them at their word and responds in kind".
While evidence of him sharing that statement has been removed from his social media counts he tweeted:
Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim immigration and violence?
— Fraser Anning Official (@fraser_anning) March 15, 2019
A media adviser for Senator Anning told news.com.au there had been no backlash to the statement, but it only took minutes for social media to blow up in outrage.
Does anyone still dispute the link between @fraser_anning and blunt-ugly, revolting, vulgarity?
