By Heather McNeill
Federal MP Anne Aly has responded to false claims by right-wing political activists who said she refused to lay a wreath on Anzac Day, labelling their actions as "offensive" and "disgusting".
Dr Aly, Australia's first female Muslim MP, attended a dawn service in Ballajura, laid a wreath and made a speech.
Anne Aly has hit back at fake Anzac Day claims.Credit: Paul Kane
She also, prior to Anzac Day, sent a letter to those in her electorate about her work with the Australian Defence Force in counter-terrorism and encouraged people to attend one of a number of local services to commemorate the day.
"I think it's absolutely disgusting to use a day of commemoration to further your agenda... I know why they're doing it, I know it's got to do with my faith background, but to me the most offensive thing is they would question my respect and the high level of regard I have for our Anzacs," she said.
Founder of Love Australia or Leave Party, Kim Vuga.Credit: Facebook
Her comments came after rumours began circulating online that she had refused to lay a wreath at the Wanneroo dawn service after Kim Vuga, founder of the Love Australia or Leave Party, posted a message on her Facebook page.
"A friend has just inboxed this to me please share! Unbelievable! Or maybe not, coming from Anne Ally! [sic]," she wrote.
"ANZAC SPOILER! You really have to ask the question. What the hell are they doing in our country?"
She then posted a message from someone called Gary.
"Well my wife and I went to the Inaugural Dawn service for the Wanneroo RSL sub branch this morning everything went very well until the Wreath laying ceremony when the guy announcing the people laying Wreaths said the Local Member Anne Ally would not be presenting the Wreath for the local Government. Everyone was taken back and there was mumbles everywhere. I guess what more could you expect. However, the Wreath was placed by another local member. She wont see another term, what a Bitch."
It's true Dr Aly did not lay a wreath at the service as she was attending another local service taking place at the same time.
"There is only one dawn, you can't be in two places at once," Dr Aly said.
"I went to the Ballajura one because last year I went to the Wanneroo one. I sent a wreath and had someone representing me at the Ballajura one," she said.
Two hours after Ms Vuga posted the message, the "Fair Suck Of The Sav, Mate" Facebook page had warped Dr Aly's apparent failure to lay a wreath into a "refusal".
After Ms Vuga's post began to gain traction and media attention, on Thursday she made another post to her Facebook page denying her original post was "fake news".
"FACT: MP Anne Aly's Electorate is COWAN of which Wanneroo lies in the centre.
FACT: It's not out of the norm for those that attended the Wanneroo Dawn Service to have expected MP Anne Aly to have laid a wreath, given she is their Federal MP.
FACT: MP Anne Aly didn't lay a wreath at Wanneroo, as stated by "Gary".
FACT: Public were taken back by the fact Anne Aly wouldn't be laying a wreath at Wanneroo RSL Sub Branch Dawn Service.
FACT: A wreath was placed by another local member."
Ms Vuga later told WAtoday she and many people at the Wanneroo dawn service did not realise Dr Aly had attended another service and said the announcer at the event caused the confusion.
"I guess it's unfortunate that a lot of people went home thinking, 'well that's un-Australian' she had not been a part of celebrations, but in fact she was... we expect all our MPs to do the same," she said.
"I had no motivation [to make the Facebook post] in regards to Anne Aly's faith.
"If it was a non-muslim MP and someone had sent me the very same message, I would have posted that as well."
Dr Aly, who was born in Egypt, has previously said during Parliament that she has been subject to racism and anti-Islamic rhetoric.
She told WAtoday she had not experienced an attack on her character like the Anzac Day allegations since becoming an MP in July 2016.
"It's easy to use somebody and call them out and accuse them of disrespecting Anzac Day, it's nice and easy for them but it is disappointing it was picked up so much," she said.
It comes after ABC television presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied came under heavy criticism for publishing an Anzac Day post suggesting Australians should also remember the suffering on Manus Island and Nauru.
She has since apologised and removed the post.