SHEIK Taj al-Din al-Hilali pulled out of giving the Friday sermon at his Sydney mosque today after being warned to tone down his "freak show" rhetoric. Members of the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA), which runs the popular Lakemba mosque, intercepted Australia's most senior Muslim cleric on his way to give the sermon. LMA president Tom Zreika said the sheik pulled out after being told his sermon had to be apolitical, avoiding talk of the Lebanese Muslim candidates expected to run at the March state election. The sheik yesterday ruled himself out of running, but said he would endorse the candidates,...