Jessica Whelan resigns as Liberal Party candidate after anti-Muslim social posts

The Liberal Party has accepted Jessica Whelan's resignation as the candidate for the seat of Lyons in Tasmania.

The Liberal party is expected to dump Lyons candidate Jessica Whelan.

The Liberal party has dumped its candidate for Lyons, Jessica Whelan. Source: AAP

The Liberal Party for Tasmania announced in a statement on Friday that Jessica Whelan has resigned as a candidate for the seat of Lyons.

"Jess Whelan vehemently maintains that she did not make the vulgar post reported in yesterday's media," the statement read.

"However, she accepts that she has made some of the other posts in question.

"Clearly these posts are inappropriate, and the Liberal Party was not aware of their existence until they were reported.

"Therefore, she has offered her resignation as the candidate and the Liberal Party has accepted it."

The statement went on to encourage voters to support the Nationals candidate in Lyons Deanna Hutchinson.

On Thursday, Ms Whelan denied responsibility for one Islamophobic remark, referring the "doctored" Facebook post to federal police.

But after more screenshots emerged overnight, Liberal campaign spokesman Simon Birmingham confirmed Ms Whelan would be disendorsed on Friday.
"I expect based on the information that has come to light overnight, the additional information, that she'll not be continued to be Liberal candidate," he told Nine's Today Show on Friday.

"I can say in relation to this candidate that in fact, more information has come to light overnight and as a result of that state executive of the Liberal Party in Tasmania will be taking steps to deal with this candidate and the situation today," Senator Birmingham said.

The Hobart Mercury uncovered two new Facebook posts bearing the candidate's name and photograph.

One called for a national vote on banning Muslim immigration and the other argued Tasmania should not accept refugees from Syria and Iraq.

"Don't bloody send them to Tasmania. We don't want them," it said.

Ms Whelan was already under fire over another post that argued women who supported Islam should be mutilated and sold as slaves.

"Round them up Donald, cut their clitoris' off & sell them to Muslims in Muslim countries & cancel their passports. You'll make a mint," it stated

A party spokesman said this particular post appeared to have been digitally manipulated.

"Ms Whelan strenuously denies making this comment. We will be referring it to the relevant authorities."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Thursday in Tasmania said Ms Whelan had referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police.

"I don't think it's hard to believe in this day and age that the images can be doctored," he told reporters in Tasmania.

Tasmanian Labor leader Rebecca White told the Mercury she was prepared to give sworn evidence that the comments were from Ms Whelan.

Knowledge of the controversial post emerged in Tasmania's parliament after Tasmanian Labor's deputy leader, Michelle O'Byrne, drew attention to the lewd remarks. 

Ms O'Byrne used Question Time to read out Ms Whelan's comments posted under a video post entitled  "Feminists In America Begging For Sharia Law", which showed non-Muslim American women praying with Muslim women. 

"Round them up Donald, cut their clitorises off and sell them to Muslims in Muslim countries and cancel their passports. You'll make a mint," Ms O'Byrne said, quoting the comments on Facebook.

The video was posted in March in 2017 by right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos during the debate about the US travel ban on people from several Muslim-majority countries. 

In a statement, Ms Whelan rejected responsibility for making the remark, saying the post had been digitally created. 

Ms Whelan refused to answer further questions about the post by reporters at the agricultural show Agfest, making her way to a waiting car.  

The Facebook account which posted the remarks, attributed to a profile with Ms Whelan's name, has now been deleted. 

The ABC has posted screenshots of the other anti-Muslim remarks posted on Facebook under the now-deleted account. 

Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor was labelled a "filthy Muslim" in a comment posted in response to a July 2017 news report on the shooting death of Australian Justine Damond Ruszczyk.

A page entitled "Reclaim Australia Rally" had the remark saying refugees from the Middle East are not welcome in Tasmania.

"Don't bloody send them to Tasmania. We don't want them," the comment said under a news article about 200 Syrian and Iraqi refugees settling in Armidale, NSW.
Jessica Whelan has rejected responsibility for the remarks on genital mutilation.
Jessica Whelan has rejected responsibility for the remarks on genital mutilation. Source: Facebook
Other anti-Muslim Facebook posts have since emerged connected to a now deleted Jessica Whelan account.
Other anti-Muslim Facebook posts have since emerged connected to a now deleted Jessica Whelan account. Source: ABC/Facebook
The Facebook account has now been deleted.
The Facebook account has now been deleted. Source: ABC/Facebook



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By SBS News

Presented by Justin Sungil Park

Source: SBS




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