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Keysar Trad has taken 2GB to Court
Disgraceful, dangerous, gutless and just trouble - a tirade against Islamic identity Keysar Trad by a Sydney broadcaster in December 2005 was "the works", his lawyer says.
Mr Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association and former spokesman for controversial Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, is suing 2GB's Jason Morrison and the station's licensee, Harbour Radio, for defamation.
The case relates to a December 19 broadcast about a peace rally held in response to the Cronulla riot, at which Mr Trad spoke.
Commenting on the rally the following morning, Mr Morrison, who was filling in for regular talkback host Ray Hadley, accused Mr Trad of inciting hatred and violence against the station.
Mr Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association and former spokesman for controversial Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, is suing 2GB's Jason Morrison and the station's licensee, Harbour Radio, for defamation.
The case relates to a December 19 broadcast about a peace rally held in response to the Cronulla riot, at which Mr Trad spoke.
Commenting on the rally the following morning, Mr Morrison, who was filling in for regular talkback host Ray Hadley, accused Mr Trad of inciting hatred and violence against the station.
In particular, the talkback host took issue with comments Mr Trad made about the "shame" of tabloid journalism, which aimed to whip up fear to boost ratings.
Mr Trad's comments allegedly caused the crowd to boo and jeer a 2GB journalist who was present near the stage, causing the reporter to fear for his safety, Mr Morrison said at the time.
"You are gutless, you are just trouble, mate, and I think a lot of people agree with my view," Mr Morrison said during the broadcast, which was played to the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Mr Morrison lambasted Mr Trad numerous times throughout the 24-minute segment, labelling him a "disgraceful" and "dangerous" individual who incited violence, hatred and racism.
"In this particular program, Jason Morrison, there's no doubt about it, he really gave Mr Trad the works throughout the entirety of the broadcast," Mr Trad's barrister Clive Evatt said.
Mr Morrison's comments about Mr Trad would be interpreted by ordinary Australians as meaning he was akin to a terrorist or a Nazi, Mr Evatt said.
Mr Evatt told the jury 10 separate defamatory imputations had been made against Mr Trad during the broadcast, including that he was a hypocrite and widely perceived as a pest.
The broadcast also implied Mr Trad deliberately spread misinformation about the Islamic community and wanted to silence discussion about "the way things are really happening", Mr Evatt said.
Richard McHugh SC, acting for Harbour Radio, admitted some of the comments were defamatory.
"What (my client) does dispute is that all 10 of these imputations were conveyed and that all 10 were defamatory," he said.
Mr McHugh said Mr Morrison was obviously a man renowned for "telling it like it is", and urged the jury to consider whether the ordinary reasonable listener would have picked over his broadcast with a fine toothcomb.
"They will listen to it as a radio broadcast and they will give emphasis more to some parts than to others," Mr McHugh said.
"The ordinary reasonable listener does not focus with equal attention on every single portion."
Picking over the broadcast, as suggested by Mr Evatt, would be an "artificial process to extract the 10 meanings", Mr McHugh said.
The jury will retire to consider its verdict on Thursday.
Mr Trad's comments allegedly caused the crowd to boo and jeer a 2GB journalist who was present near the stage, causing the reporter to fear for his safety, Mr Morrison said at the time.
"You are gutless, you are just trouble, mate, and I think a lot of people agree with my view," Mr Morrison said during the broadcast, which was played to the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday.
Mr Morrison lambasted Mr Trad numerous times throughout the 24-minute segment, labelling him a "disgraceful" and "dangerous" individual who incited violence, hatred and racism.
"In this particular program, Jason Morrison, there's no doubt about it, he really gave Mr Trad the works throughout the entirety of the broadcast," Mr Trad's barrister Clive Evatt said.
Mr Morrison's comments about Mr Trad would be interpreted by ordinary Australians as meaning he was akin to a terrorist or a Nazi, Mr Evatt said.
Mr Evatt told the jury 10 separate defamatory imputations had been made against Mr Trad during the broadcast, including that he was a hypocrite and widely perceived as a pest.
The broadcast also implied Mr Trad deliberately spread misinformation about the Islamic community and wanted to silence discussion about "the way things are really happening", Mr Evatt said.
Richard McHugh SC, acting for Harbour Radio, admitted some of the comments were defamatory.
"What (my client) does dispute is that all 10 of these imputations were conveyed and that all 10 were defamatory," he said.
Mr McHugh said Mr Morrison was obviously a man renowned for "telling it like it is", and urged the jury to consider whether the ordinary reasonable listener would have picked over his broadcast with a fine toothcomb.
"They will listen to it as a radio broadcast and they will give emphasis more to some parts than to others," Mr McHugh said.
"The ordinary reasonable listener does not focus with equal attention on every single portion."
Picking over the broadcast, as suggested by Mr Evatt, would be an "artificial process to extract the 10 meanings", Mr McHugh said.
The jury will retire to consider its verdict on Thursday.
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References:
The Age: Trad copped 2GB tirade over rally: court
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