Australia denies visa to right wing commentator Candace Owens
Australia has denied a visa for controversial American commentator Candace Owens, with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke citing her “capacity to incite discord.”
Candace Owens Pic: Wikipedia
Owens, known for her provocative conservative views on race, gender, and social issues, had planned a national speaking tour that stirred concerns due to her history of inflammatory comments, including remarks widely criticised as antisemitic.
The Home Affairs decision reportedly stems from Owens’ history of divisive statements, including remarks that have drawn criticism as antisemitic. She faced widespread condemnation Recently, Candace Owens has faced accusations of antisemitism for a range of comments, including promoting conspiracy theories about Israel’s involvement in events like the JFK assassination and 9/11, and for invoking the historic “blood libel” myth that falsely accused Jews of ritual blood use.
Jewish leaders and other groups had urged the government to bar Owens permanently from entering Australia, condemning her as a “vile, divisive, and dangerous” far-right provocateur.
In a recent comment, Peter Wertheim, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry stated that, “at a time of unprecedented strains on the cohesiveness of Australian society, which is very largely the outcome of ignorant and malicious comment on social media, the last thing we need to be importing into our country is yet another so-called celebrity who has made racist and bigoted comments about Jews and other vulnerable groups.” “It should be taken as read that people with that kind of record fail the character test under the Migration Act and should be denied a visitor’s visa.”
The Zionist Federation of Australia sent a letter to Tony Burke emphasising her failure to meet character requirements for entry, citing her history of Holocaust denial and inflammatory conspiracy theories relating to Israel, Muslims, and the LGBTQI community.
ZFA CEO Alon Cassuto told J-Wire: “We welcome Candace Owens being denied entry into Australia. Extremism, racism, bigotry, and antisemitism are unacceptable in any form, regardless of whether they originate from the far left or right.
For the sake of our nation’s social cohesion, there is no place in Australia for Candace Owens and her vile, divisive, and dangerous conspiracy theories.”
Burke reinforced the decision, “Australia’s commitment to social cohesion and mutual respect is fundamental,” he said. “We cannot allow voices that actively undermine these values, including by spreading harmful antisemitic narratives, to take the stage here.”
Owens’ rhetoric has previously led to her exclusion from events in other countries and protests in the United States. Burke clarified that the visa denial prioritises public harmony over free speech. “This decision is not about freedom of speech but about maintaining harmony,” he said. “Owens’ statements show a pattern of incendiary comments that don’t align with the inclusive, respectful discourse we want in Australia.”
Dr Colin Rubenstein, executive director of The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, told J-Wire: “AIJAC welcomes the Government’s correct decision in denying vicious far-right antisemite Candace Owens an Australian visa on character grounds. We hope the same principled policy will be applied to other extremist propagandists seeking to visit Australia, such as the two pro-Hamas speakers apparently now due to come in January, Shaun King and Mansour Shouman.”
This decision by my Australian Government is bad on at least two fronts. One, it’s an exercise in politically biased censorship whereby other more extreme voices within Australia can & do regularly provoke without consequence. Two, it is vital to allow ANY differing opinions to be heard in order to distill ones own truth-based conclusions. There are three totally separate aspects to any & every human being; they are the thought, the talk, the walk. Incitement is a talk; to physically take action is a walk and is the choice & sole responsibility of that walker (not the talker) to act. It is for the listener to think and then argue the pros or cons with counter talk rather than for the subject to go underground & fester. A genuinely mature & honest society is one where free speech is absolute – no matter how repugnant or loopy it may be; it must never be a crime, but it can be shameful.