Pauline Hanson fears new religious freedom laws will encourage radical Islam

Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s push for new religious freedom laws is in danger of hitting a major parliamentary hurdle.

Mr Morrison intends to make it unlawful to discriminate against people based on their religious beliefs.

He is proposing to amend existing marriage, charities and anti-discrimination legislation to achieve this end.

But One Nation leader Senator Pauline Hanson is worried it could encourage radical Islam.

“Are we going to impose more threats and violence on our streets if we give that religious freedom to an ideology I believe is political,” she told 9News.

Government MPs realise they will almost have to rely on Labor to get the controversial bill through the Senate.

Ministers say the proposed legislation is simply about outlawing discrimination based on religion.

“We’ve got protections for people based on their gender, their sexuality and you should also have protections for people of religious faith,” Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said.

The Israel Folau controversy has seen the debate largely focussed on Christians. Folau was sacked by Rugby Australia over an online post in which the ex-Wallaby paraphrased a Bible passage saying "drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolaters" would go to hell unless they repented.

But leaders of the Islamic community are demanding equal protection.

Imam Adama Konda, of the Council of Imams, told 9News: “Protect everybody in the country. As a family. Believe in what you want to believe provided that don’t harm other people.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison fundamentally thinks if you’re not free to believe in your faith, you’re not free.

But some of his Coalition colleagues are arguing if this is the subject to burn valuable political capital.

In 1988 the then prime minister Bob Hawke held a referendum on whether to extend freedom of religion.

Almost 70 per cent of Australians expressed opposition.