Socceroos star slams Pauline Hanson’s monoculture comments

Socceroos star Awer Mabil has hit out at One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s comments on monoculture, calling them “bullshit”.

Mabil, who scored a penalty in the Socceroos’ penalty shootout defeat to Egypt on Saturday, has spoken in favour of the diversity and multiculturalism of the Australia team that played at the tournament.

Mabil himself is a refugee born in a Kenyan camp to South Sudanese parents.

Several of Mabil’s Socceroos teammates, including star Nestory Irankunda and striker Mohamed Toure, are also of African descent.

He returned home from the World Cup to Adelaide on Monday and was asked about recent comments by Hanson, who advocated for Australia to move towards a monocultural society.

At her maiden speech at the National Press Club last month, Hanson had said Australia needed to become “monocultural”, which she said meant “[living] under the one cultural umbrella”.

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After criticism, Hanson tried to defend her point claiming the Socceroos were an example of the monoculture she was arguing for, simply because they all played in the green and gold uniform.

After being asked about it on Monday, Mabil gave a withering critique of Hanson’s views, saying such beliefs were unpatriotic.

“It’s just all bullshit,” he told reporters, after first asking if it was alright to swear.

“If anyone is trying to divide that, then they’re probably not Australian themselves in a sense, respectfully.”

He was critical of the idea of creating division within society.

“When somebody tries to divide people based on certain things, because you don’t pick where you’re born, the colour of your skin,” he said.

“You pick to be a good human being; yes, that’s a choice.

“Some people, they choose to go against being good, that’s their own problem. They’re missing out on what others can bring and that’s what multicultural does, it brings other flavour to the table instead of just one thing.”

Mabil insisted Hanson’s remarks, which came during the World Cup campaign, did not distract the Australian team, who made the knockout rounds for the third time in their World Cup history.

“It didn’t really distract us because we know what we represent, we represent Australia on the biggest stage,” he said.

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Hanson and her party have shot to the top of several opinion polls in recent weeks, and recently won their first federal seat in parliament in Farrer, but Hanson’s comments saw her popularity take a hit and fall from top spot in some polls.

Her comments were also met with criticism by icon Paul Hogan, who Hanson attempted to hold up as an example of what good could come from a monocultural Australia.

Hogan disagreed entirely, calling Hanson “a pelican”.

“She’s living in the past, obviously,” he told The Australian Financial Review.

“I’ve always had a very simple rule: what makes a good Australian is wanting to be one.”

Nine.com.au understands Hanson is currently travelling to the United Kingdom, where she will attend the CPAC Great Britain conference between July 16 and 18.

The conference is an offshoot of the influential conservative political conference, where former UK prime minister Liz Truss and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage are set to speak.

The Australian Financial Review reports Hanson will make a speech at the conference, but she is not listed as a speaker on the conference’s website.

Hanson is also set to meet with Farage, who has led his party to the top of the polls in the UK.