Media personality Sonia Kruger certainly caused a stir this morning when, live on the Today Show, she proposed that Muslims be completely banned from migrating to Australia.
Referring to a column in which Andrew Bolt calls for an indiscriminate ban on all Muslims, Kruger said that the right wing media commentator had a point.
“There is a correlation between the people who are Muslim in a country and the number of terrorist attacks,” Kruger said. “Personally, I would like to see it (Muslim immigration) stop now for Australia.”
Co-host David Campbell was visibly shocked by Kruger’s words, while Lisa Wilkinson asked Kruger whether she would advocate a Donald Trump-style closed borders approach to which she responded: “Yes I would.”
Andrew Bolt believes Muslim migration in France has opened the door to terror. Thoughts? #9Today https://t.co/d1VIqB0PVv
— The Today Show (@TheTodayShow) July 17, 2016
Now, after hours of getting slammed on Twitter – Kruger has dug an even deeper hole put out a statement on Twitter, essentially clarifying that because she’s a mother her words shouldn’t be labeled as racist.
— Sonia Kruger (@SoniaKruger) July 18, 2016
Unsurprisingly, there’s been a myriad of responses – but largely people calling out Kruger for implying that anyone who isn’t a mother doesn’t care about the loss of children’s lives in terrorist attacks.
Check out some of the responses below.
@SoniaKruger being a mother doesn’t give you the right to presume guilt on over a billion people for their faith alone
— Phil (@Superchair14) July 18, 2016
@SoniaKruger pic.twitter.com/Cmm0vT8KK1
— Case (@case_payne) July 18, 2016
@SoniaKruger As a father, I reckon saying racist stuff is a bit shit. #asafather
— Nick Names Nuts (@nicknamesnuts) July 18, 2016
@SoniaKruger this may be news to you but non-mothers care about kids too. It’s not a free pass for promoting hate.
— Rachael Lonergan (@RachaelHasIdeas) July 18, 2016