SYDNEY – Australia’s The Voice presenter Sonia Kruger’s call for a ban on Muslims moving to Australia, out of her concerns “as a mother”, has been widely mocked on social media, with many accusing her of racism.
“#asamother I’d like to think I could leave a war-torn country and settle my children safely, somewhere else, without judgement,” said one tweet cited by the BBC on Tuesday, July 19.
“#AsAMother I hope to never teach my children how to hate and fear what is different,” said another.
The Kruger had told Today show that after the Nice attack she would feel safer if the borders were closed to Muslims for a while.
“Personally, I would like to see [Muslim migration] stop now for Australia,” she said.
She later said on Twitter she was concerned “as a mother” and that there should be open discussion of the issue.
The hashtag #asamother has since been trending in Australia, with many accusing her of racism.
The controversy intensified after she defended her views on Twitter, using her status as a parent.
“Following the atrocities of last week in Nice, where 10 children lost their lives, as a mother, I believe it’s vital in a democratic society to be able to discuss these issues without being labelled racist.”
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young was among those criticizing the comments as “intolerant”.
Some Muslims have also responded to the hateful comments, confirming that they equally face the danger of terrorism.
