Tempers flare over Australia Day ad featuring hijab-wearing girls


A Gofundme campaign to reinstate the advertisement received received more than A$140,000 in pledges.PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GOFUNDME.

SYDNEY: Tempers have flared over an Australia Day advertising campaign featuring children wearing Muslim headscarves, fanning debate over the meaning of the January 26 national holiday.

The image of the young girls wearing hijabs was removed from a Melbourne billboard this week after the advertising firm behind the campaign to promote the holiday, which was backed by the Victoria state government, received threats.

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