A female journalist has lodged a $100,000 sexual discrimination complaint against Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir after reportedly being told to sit apart from the men at one of their public meetings last year.
Alison Bevege says she attended the meeting as a freelance writer on October 10 and was allegedly told to sit at the back by a female representative of the group.
Ms Bevege lodged a complaint with the Anti-Discrimination Board five days later, which was yesterday heard at the tribunal following an unsuccessful mediation between the parties.
She has asked for $100,000 in compensation, which she said she intended to donate to charity, and an apology.
“When I went in, as soon as I walked in the door, a woman representative of the group immediately directed me to the back half of the room. I said ‘I don’t want to sit at the back of the room’, I wanted to sit in the front where I could see,’ she said.”
Last month The Daily Telegraph attended a meeting involving Hizb ut-Tahrir members in which men and women guests were forced to sit apart by the orders of the organisers.