Today’s Sonia Kruger fails to have racism complaint dismissed

Today Show and The Voice host Sonia Kruger has failed to have a racism complaint against her dismissed.

Kruger sparked outrage after saying Australian borders should be closed to Muslims. 

The Civil and Administrative Tribunal rejected Channel Nine’s application to have the complaint dismissed without hearing, the Daily Telegraph reported.

Sam Ekermawi made the complaint saying Channel Nine had vilified ‘ethnic Muslim Australians’. 

Kruger said Australian borders should be closed to Muslims while discussing a column written by Andrew Bolt on the Today Show in July 2016.

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

‘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.’

Mr Ekermawi wrote an email to the Anti-Discrimination Board of New South Wales saying Kruger had dehumanised Muslims. 

 Sam Ekermawi made the complaint saying Channel Nine had vilified ‘ethnic Muslim Australians’ (Pictured: Members of Sydney’s Muslim community celebrate Eid with morning prayers at Lakemba Mosque)

The Nine Network applied to have Mr Ekermawi’s complaint dismissed, saying the segment discussed religion and not race.

They also said Mr Ekermawi’s history of making vilification complaints meant it would be an abuse of the tribunal’s processes to allow the complaint to proceed. 

NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal deputy president Nancy Hennessy refused Channel Nine’s application.

The matter has now been listed for directions on June 19. 

Kruger said Australian borders should be closed to Muslims while discussing a column written by Andrew Bolt on the Today Show in July 2016