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Sonia Kruger To Face Tribunal Over Anti-Muslim Comments

Sonia Kruger to face tribunal over anti-Muslim comments

Sonia Kruger will face the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal accused of vilification.

Two years ago, Kruger called for a ban on Muslim migration during a segment on Channel Nine’s Today program.

Sonia Kruger to face tribunal over Muslim comments

The Nine Network failed in its bid to have the complaint against her dismissed without a hearing.

During the July 2016 Today segment, Kruger said she supported a newspaper article by columnist Andrew Bolt.

“I mean, personally, I think Andrew Bolt has a point here, that there is a correlation between the number of people, who, you know, are Muslim in a country and the number of terrorist attacks.

“Now I have a lot of very good friends who are Muslim, who are peace-loving who are beautiful people, but there are fanatics.

“Personally I would like to see it stopped now for Australia.  

“Because I want to feel safe, as all of our citizens do, when they go out to celebrate Australia Day.”

WATCH THE SEGMENT HERE:

Social media backlash

Social media went into meltdown with outrage as a result of the comments, and prompted an official complaint by Sam Ekermawi.

Ekermawi, an Australian Muslim, claimed Kruger and Channel Nine vilified “ethnic Muslim Australians” as a result of the segment.

Ekermawi subsequently emailed the Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales:

“Kruger did target Ethnic-Muslims as a group; she believes that Muslim Australians are constructed as terrorists.”

Vilification is inciting hatred towards, serious contempt for, or severe ridicule of a person, or group of people, because of their race or religion, by a public act.

Complaint is serious

Miles Heffernan from Discrimination Claims said the tribunal is taking the complaint seriously.

“The fact that it wasn’t dismissed today suggests NCAT believes there is merit in the complaint,” he said.

“However, Mr Ekermawi will have to show Kruger’s comments are enough to incite hatred or ridicule of ethnic-Muslim people for the case to get up.

“Despite this, it won’t be a good look for Channel Nine.”

As a result of today’s decision, NCAT has listed the matter for a directions hearing on June 19.


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