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Vilification win over Alan Jones 'symbolic': Keysar Trad

A Muslim community leader says his victory over Alan Jones, who's been ordered to pay $10,000 for racial vilification, is symbolic.

Radio broadcaster Alan Jones. (AAP)
Radio broadcaster Alan Jones. (AAP)

A victory over broadcaster Alan Jones for racial vilification has been labelled "symbolic" by Muslim community leader Keysar Trad.

The 2GB broadcaster has been ordered to pay Mr Trad $10,000 for a "gratuitously insulting and offensive" radio segment directed at Lebanese men.

The Civil and Administrative Tribunal found the comments, made nine years ago, incited listeners to hatred.

Mr Jones read a letter in April 2005 expressing the view Lebanese men were "mongrels" and "vermin" that "infest our shores" while they "rape, pillage and plunder a nation that's taken them in".

The tribunal found these comments were not relevant to the public interest in its December 19 judgment.

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"These words, which are highly insulting and inflammatory, portray Lebanese men in an extremely negative way suggesting that they rape and are warlike and violent," said the judgment, handed down earlier this month.

Mr Trad said he was happy about the victory and thanked his legal team for years of support.

"This has taken almost 10 years of my life, a lot of stress on my family," he told AAP.

"I'm very happy to have the victory."

Mr Jones and Harbour Radio, which holds the licence for 2GB, were ordered to pay the damages, along with some of Mr Trad's legal costs.

But Mr Trad said he still faced financial pressure resulting from the legal battle.

"My family is worried about losing our home," he told AAP on Monday.

"It's a symbolic victory."

Mr Trad claimed he has been ordered to pay $115,000 to Mr Jones in costs relating to the case.

Comment was being sought from Mr Jones.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP


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