Cory Bernardi has defended his decision to post a link to an article by controversial “neo-masculinist” and writer of professional pick-up guides Daryush Valizadeh on Twitter, saying “linking to one interesting article on social justice warriors doesn’t mean I endorse all his views”.

Bernardi shared the article with his 17,000 Twitter followers on Wednesday, saying it was “particularly relevant to many Twitter users”.

The article was a lengthy missive against “social justice warriors” and warned the readers, assumed to be white heterosexual men, against attacks from those who find their statements offensive.



Bernardi, a Liberal party senator for South Australia, offered the article with the preface “know thyself”, to which the internet responded with variations of “know thy source”.

@corybernardi have you left your brain at home today and forgotten who Roosh is — Adam Kent (@akent) June 1, 2016

*logs onto twitter on holiday *

*greeted by bernardi linking roosh *

*logs off* — Matt (@0mikr0n) June 1, 2016

Valizadeh, who uses the moniker Roosh V online, is best known for an article – which he said was “satirical” – that argued rape should be legal on private property. He was monitored by the immigration minister, Peter Dutton, in February, after suggesting he would come to Australia to attend a series of men-only “tribal meetings” for supporters of his website, Return of Kings.

Dutton’s office suggested the self-published author would not be granted a visa to visit Australia before Valizadeh announced he had cancelled the planned international meet-ups out of concern for the “safety and privacy of the men who want to attend”.

Bernardi defended the tweet, saying the article was “interesting in light of events of last week”. “It doesn’t mean I endorse author’s other views,” he said.

Dear outraged, the article I linked to is interesting in light of events of last week. It doesn't mean I endorse author's other views. — Cory Bernardi (@corybernardi) June 1, 2016

“To be frank, I knew nothing about the background of this guy and past criticism of him appears to be entirely justified,” Bernardi said in a statement to Guardian Australia.

Bernardi said he was sent the link after he wrote a blog post about a “militant ‘rainbow diversity crowd’” lobbying a Sydney hotel to cancel a forum he was speaking at last week.

“This guy has many views I disagree with and the criticism by the Coalition is entirely valid,” he said. “But linking to one interesting article on social justice warriors doesn’t mean I endorse all his views.”

I can't say I'm surprised, but Senator Cory Bernardi seriously just posted an article by Roosh Valizadeh https://t.co/FGmwWeMkfp — Ben Eltham (@beneltham) June 1, 2016

The article posited that there was an organised collective in western countries determined to shut down the voices of white men.

“Social justice warriors,” Valizadeh writes, “believe in an extreme left-wing ideology that combines feminism, progressivism and political correctness into a totalitarian system that attempts to censor speech and promote fringe lifestyles while actively discriminating against men, particularly white men. They are the internet activist arm of Western progressivism that acts as a vigilante group to ensure compliance and homogeny of far left thought.”

He goes on to write that social justice warriors, shortened to “SJWs”, aim to curtail free speech, particularly the speech of white heterosexual men. “Those who are high up on the privilege hierarchy (white men) have to speak through a careful filter if they don’t want to be subject to an SJW attack,” the piece warns.

He laments that people considered to be less privileged can get away with saying things that a powerful white man cannot and suggests that people who belong to this group “mixes and matches” their gender and sexual identity “to seek approval”.

He then questions why any white straight men would join in this criticism of other white straight men (“Most of these men are shy with confidence and low muscle mass,” Valizadeh notes) and concludes that it is “not a stretch” to predict that social justice warriors will turn violent and, eventually, be classed as terrorists by the FBI.

Bernardi, whose deeply conservative social values put him at odds with the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, has been demoted to the second spot on the Liberal party’s South Australian Senate ticket for the upcoming 2 July election, in favour of moderate and education minister Simon Birmingham.