Hours after Ed Husic became Australia's first ever Muslim minister, he was flooded with online racial abuse for taking the oath of office on the Quran.
43-year-old Husic was appointed as parliamentary secretary to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and parliamentary secretary for broadband on Monday.
Husic, son of Bosnian migrants, was the first minister to be sworn in to federal parliament with his hand on the Quran. Husic told media on Tuesday that he had made a "straightforward decision as someone of the Muslim faith" to take the oath on the Quran."I couldn't take my oath on a Bible and I didn't want to affirm. I am who I am and I just made a straightforward decision," he said.
