Australians are being sent a clear message that there is no excuse for displays of hate, as a proposal to ban Nazi and Islamic State symbols enters federal parliament.
If passed, the criminal code would be amended to prohibit hate symbols and will see people who display the insignia face the prospect of prison time.
The law would apply to the Nazi hakenkreuz, the Nazi double sig rune, and the Islamic State flag.
Selling, renting or leasing memorabilia containing the symbols will also be made an offence and banned in retail and online stores.
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus introduced the proposal to parliament on Wednesday.
He said the two Nazi symbols, known as the Schutzstaffel insignia, represented the Third Reich and conjured fear in many Australians whose families suffered the horrors of the Holocaust during World War II.
The symbols are also used to promote hatred against other marginalised groups, including LGBTQI Australians.
Similarly, the attorney-general said the Islamic State flag represented the “abhorrent actions” of the terrorist organisation.
Despite no longer controlling territory in Iraq and Syria, Mr Dreyfus said Islamic State remained an active terrorist group that regularly attacked security forces and civilians.
“Extremist insignia are an effective propaganda tool because they are easy to remember and understand,” he told parliament.
“They also transcend language and cultural divides.
Read the article by Maeve Bannister in The Canberra Times.