TV

Nazeem Hussain Spoke Out About Islamophobia And Pauline Hanson On ‘I’m A Celebrity’ Last Night

"It's personal for me."

by Tom Clift  21 February 2017

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I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! got unexpectedly emotional last night, after Muslim comedian Nazeem Hussain spoke tearily about his family’s faith, and heaped praise on everyday Australians who refuse to give in to prejudice and fear.

As part of the episode’s “Jungle Radio” segment, Hussain told a story about a text he received from his sister Azmeena on the day of the Lindt Café siege, in which she told him she was afraid to wear her hijab on public transport because she thought she might be harassed.

“I told her ‘just take it off, don’t wear it, you don’t need to wear it if you’re feeling scared,'” recalled Hussain.

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As the day progressed, however, he and his sister both noticed that the #IllRideWithYou hashtag had begun trending on social media, as Australians around the country expressed their solidarity with the Muslim community. Hussain later received another message from his sister in which she said that she felt “comfortable and safe knowing my fellow Australians are willing to stand up and support me.”

“That actually made me cry when it happened because we don’t see that enough,” Hussain told the camp. “We don’t see Australians coming together for each other. And that man wanted to divide Australia. He wanted us to turn on each other, but what he did instead, was make us come together.”

The comedian also took aim at the divisive rhetoric of One Nation. “When Pauline Hanson says things irresponsibly, what she’s doing is doing exactly what ISIS is doing, splitting up Muslim and non-Muslim,” he said. “But what happens time and again, and this just shows the Australian spirit, is that we actually find ways to use that opportunity to strengthen bonds, and we come closer together.”

Azmeena, meanwhile, spent the episode tweeting from her brother’s account. At one point she wrote that she was glad that Nazeem was able to show viewers “how ordinary Muslims are.” Mostly though, she just tweeted adorable family photos, and it was great.