Posted on 11/04/2006 7:44:48 AM PST by Dark Skies
SYDNEY, Australia - Australia's top Islamic cleric, under fire for comparing women who go without head scarves to "uncovered meat," ignored his promise to refrain from preaching and delivered a sermon to the applause of hundreds of supporters Friday.
Sheik Taj Aldin al-Hilali, mufti of Australia since 1989, had apologized last week for any offense he caused to women and then agreed with the Lakemba Mosque's administrators to take three months off from preaching as outraged politicians called for his resignation.
But the 65-year-old native of Egypt appeared for noon prayers at the mosque Friday, Muslims' sabbath, and preached for two hours. Jubilant worshippers carried him on their shoulders.
He later issued a statement saying he would resign if an impartial panel found he incited rape with his "uncovered meat" comment in a Sept. 22 sermon. He also reportedly described women as being soldiers of Satan and said they are responsible for 90 percent of adultery.
A newspaper's report last week on a tape of the sermon brought quick demands across Australia's political parties that al-Hilali be removed as mufti, and Prime Minister John Howard warned Muslims a failure to do so would taint their image.
The controversy has split Muslims, with some groups joining in the demands for al-Hilali to quit. But 34 Islamic groups issued an open letter Thursday accusing the media and political leaders of using the uproar "as an opportunity to vilify the Australian Muslim community."
In his statement Friday, al-Hilali called for a panel of one judge and two lawyers to be named to investigate claims in the media that his September sermon amounted to incitement to commit rape.
"Any person, whatever his position may be, who justifies the crime of rape or encourages it under any circumstances, or whoever degrades Australian women for their dress, is nothing but an ignorant, foolish and crazy person who does not deserve to hold any position of responsibility, be it public or private, in our Australian society," his statement said.
Al-Hilali said that if the panel found his comments could incite rape, he would retire from all religious work and positions. But, in a hint he might not be entirely serious, he also offered to "place masking tape on my mouth in public places for six months" to "discipline" it.
The cleric was widely reported as describing the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States as "God's work against the oppressors" and of voicing support for Palestinian suicide bombers. He maintains he was misinterpreted.
Oh, the humanity!!!
Women are responsible for 90% of the adultry goin' on, eh?
Bunch of rapist women out there, I guess.
Like any woman is going to go to the polls on Tuesday and vote for the RATS who have been endorsed by and are the allies of SCUMBUCKETS like this?
The ones who do must be nuts!
Or terminally stuck on stupid.
The men should be most angry with this garbage: He's saying that me have no thinking ability and are no better than rutting pigs.
He must know my ex-girlfriend.
A well placed bullet will shut this A-hole up!
Well, the Aussies need to deport the leaders of those groups. Anyone else who wishes to stay needs to realize they are not in an Islamic country and that women are not agents of Satan - the Islamists are.
Yeah, well, you'd better pray Sunnyvale isn't all booked up or they'll be looking to Bellevue. There are a lot of folks out there who think this is just a matter of failed foreign policy on U.S.A.'s part and a lack of respect for different ethnic backgrounds. They have no idea what we are facing or why.
This admission that Muslim men cannot control their passions and must be removed from all temptation simply reinforces the idea that they msut be removed from the presence of all the infidenl to avoid the tempatation of killing them. Through this aardvark in jail...
I wouldn't be surprised if there were similar sermons in U.S. mosques, but the media simply keeps it quiet.
Also, the imam is an idiot. It doesn't matter if meat is wrapped or unwrapped. Leave it outside and animals will eat it.
Her "uncovered meat" is more beef jerky than filet mignon.
ping
Horse meat. ;)
As I understand it, a Muslim's vow to infidels (in this case not to preach for three months) doesn't count. How can we trust anything they say?
"Women are responsible for 90% of the adultry goin' on, eh?"
I must know the wrong ten percent!
Radical Muslims, John Kerry and Liberals in general, have a great deal in common...not taking personal resposibility for their actions. It's always another person's fault for their mistakes and sins.
Glad to know ya'!
;-)
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