@Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,
I think Babyosisi, Wumine and other ladies in the house will find this rather interesting. This senior but 'idiotic' cleric dude is a serious follower of his prophet. For those who have not heard this, enjoy.


A senior Australian Muslim cleric compared women who go without a head scarf to "uncovered meat" left out for scavengers, drawing widespread condemnation and calls Thursday for his resignation.
Hilali was quoted in The Australian newspaper Thursday as saying in the sermon: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside ,  without cover, and the cats come to eat it ,  whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat's?"
"The uncovered meat is the problem. If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred," he was quoted as saying, referring to the headdress worn by some Muslim women.

Prime Minister John Howard called the remarks "appalling and reprehensible." "The idea that women are to blame for rapes is preposterous," Howard said.

Hilali is the top cleric at Sydney's largest mosque, and is considered the most senior Islamic leader by many Muslims in Australia and New Zealand.

He has in the past served as an adviser to the Australian government on Muslim issues, but triggered a controversy in 2004 for saying in a sermon in Lebanon that the Sept. 11 attacks were "God's work against the oppressors." Hilali said later he did not mean that he supported the attacks, or terrorism.

Hilali said in a statement he was shocked by Thursday's reaction to his sermon.
"The presentation related to religious teachings on modesty and not to go to extremes in enticements, this does not condone rape, I condemn rape," he said.



Story by ROHAN SULLIVAN [Copyright; 2006 AP]

@Havila,

Funnily enough I was listening to Vanessa Feltz's programme on BBCLondon this morning (from 9am-12pm) and this topic was on and boy! was it a hot topic. There were a lot of varied and suprising responses both from Muslims and non-Muslims. Will update 2moro cuz my eyes are begnin to droop. soorrry for the suspense

Oh my.I read this also.
Don't you see similarities with what he said and statements from your good friend olabowole.
That is a real muslim opinion.He is not the first to say it and would not be the last.

DO THEY THINK COVERED WOMEN HAVE NEVER BEEN RAPED?
RAPISTS WOULD ATTACK ANY WOMAN WHEN THE DEMONS IN THEM TELL THEM TO.
IF THEY CAN ATTACK AND RAPE 80 YEAR OLD GRANDMAS,CHILDREN AND DISABLED PERSONS IN DECENT CLOTHING,DO THEY THINK THE ADDITIONAL SCARF WOULD DETER A DETERMINED RAPIST.
HOW ABOUT THE ONES THAT MOLEST BOYS<SHOULD THE MUSLIM MEN NOW HOOD UP THEIR SONS TOO?

These people do not think with  brains.