Muslim Cleric Calls Women 'Uncovered Meat'

Sheik In Australia Chastises Women Who Do Not Wear Head Scarves

(AP)  A senior 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.

Sheik Taj Aldin al Hilali denied he was condoning rape when he made the comments in a sermon last month, and apologized to any women he had offended, saying they were free to dress as they wished.

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.

The comments come during a heated debate in Britain about religious freedom centered around whether Muslim women should wear veils. Similar passions raged when France banned head scarves and other religious symbols in public schools two years ago.

In Australia, there was widespread condemnation Thursday of the cleric's comments from other Muslim leaders, civil libertarians and political leaders.

Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward said Hilali's comment was an incitement to rape and that Australia's Muslims should force him to resign.

"This is inciting young men to a violent crime because it is the woman's fault," Goward told television's Nine Network. "It is time the Islamic community did more than say they were horrified. I think it is time he left."

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.

Relations between Australia's almost 300,000 Muslims and the majority Christian-heritage population are tense following riots last December that often pitted white gangs against youths of Middle Eastern decent.

Howard offended some Muslims recently by singling out some Muslims as extremists who should adopt Australia's Western liberal attitudes to women's rights.

Many Muslims say they are increasingly treated with suspicion since the Sept. 11 and other international terrorist attacks. Waleed Aly, a member of the Islamic Council of Victoria state, said Hilali's comments would result in more antagonism toward Muslims.

"I am expecting a deluge of hate mail," he said. "I am expecting people to get abused in the street and get abused at work."

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.

"Women in our Australian society have the freedom and right to dress as they choose, the duty of man is to avert his glance or walk away," he said.

[rsoxfan1123]

Who said these guys are primitive?

[bluestardad]

Oh yea brows before hoes, Stay the Course Vote Republican

[cathaleen]

Usually I would just say ignore this madman. But I don't think that's such a good idea now since there are people out there listening and believing
this bs. He should be called on to apologize for
his remarks just like the Pope and everbody else that criticizes the almight muslims.

[boston1954]

My blood pressure just jumped 80 points!!! That man is truly disgusting!

[rsoxfan1123]

The scary thing is he is probably stating the fundamental teachings of his religion the way it is SUPPOSED to be taught according to Mohammed. Welcome to the 21st century muslim world.

[mjv2944]

The Australians ought to run this joker off. Let go back from where he came. These people are nuts. The only difference between them today and 10,000 years ago are the automatic weapons that they kill with. They are violent people who preach violence everyday.

[rsoxfan1123]

Evolution is the solution for people like this...the same thing'd work in Iraq. Maybe if we hang in there until they evolve a bit beyond the savage murder stage? They resemble western culture around the viking days.

[vh588083]

I just lost my lunch

[hangelle]

And for the likes of this we are bleeding in Iraq?!

[laurieleemoo]

okay---we just figured out how to make people / objects invisible. Well, now all we have to do is finish that TIME machine so we can send this MORON back 1,000 years where he belongs. Hey *** can you say "21st CENTURY"???!!!

[blondmadison]

"He should be called on to apologize for
his remarks just like the Pope and everbody else that criticizes the almight muslims."

Posted by cathaleen at 12:09 PM : Oct 26, 2006

Dear Cathleen:

Do you believe the Pope said what he said not knowing there would be a huge outburst about it? Think again. This was someone who gives talks regularly knowing his influencial position.

It was an extremely provocative remark intended to raise ire. After witnessing such a derelect act, as far as I am concerned the popes now and forever can take a flying leap. They are deviant politicians in robes, committing pedophilia on our children because they can get away with it. Sickening.

Now we have another provocative remark? Who spewed it? A muslim...and who would react passionately? He's a jerkbag in need of removal...SRR: Sedate, Remove, Relocate.

[observantx]

These radical Muslims are truly psychotic. They are so afraid of *** that they hide their women from view. They segregate the sexes until they get married. They prevent young males from understanding anything about women or the normal attraction between the sexes. Because of the segregation they can't learn how to behave in a civilized fashion to women or control themselves in this atmosphere. On top of that they blame innocent women if they get raped by men who go over the edge at the slightest sexual stimulation such as normal modest western dress. Part of this problem is that women are viewed as property instead of persons. That is why they are hidden away from view and so jealously guarded.

Blaming women for the crimes committed against them by men is another crime on top of the first. We're talking primitive and backward and repressive. This cleric needs to go back to his holy book and try to understand what it really says, not what he wants it to say.

[lindasog]

Just another moslem moderate. The guy is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, says the Holocaust was manufactured by Zionists and Jews are behind all the wars in the world. He's called for the murder of Americans and had ties to Jihadi publications featuring material praising Osama Bin Laden.

and he hates women? OMG!

[sy2502]

Sickening, just sickening! All civilized countries should kick these people out on the spot, send them back to their deserts and camels, because they have no place in a civilized society. Just think of these people out on the street looking at your mothers, sisters, and daughters, thinking in their own mind that your loved ones are "uncovered meat", there for taking, because they didn't stay at home, or didn't cover themselves head to toe. These people are roaming our streets, people!

[cathaleen]

He should be thrown out of Australia and put in the desert where he won't have to worry about how women dress. Maybe he'll mee some unclothed female scorpions.

[bhart050]

Yes, his comments are deplorable, but only slightly worse than those of the Catholic or any other church which uses guilt and shame in order to control people's minds and conduct. Assuming one accepts that a higher power exists, It must be saddened to realize that we have such a low opinion of the supposedly highest form of life in creation. We are capable of so much, except, apparently, respecting ourselves and one another...so much so that we accept fantastic fairy tales as great truth and allow mean-spirited morons to subjucate us with arbitrary absurd rules, so many of which are designed to keep females in a position of powerlessness. Wake up.

[rharrin1]

The problem these towel heads have is their towel is wrapped to tight

[plsthink]

Amazing and ironic. Anthropologists from all over the world are searching for evidence of ancient human ancestors when millions like this guy are here walking around in 21st century.

[alphaa10-2009]

This is part of the subrosa battle raging between Western and MidEast Muslim traditionalists over who will lead Muslim affairs for the foreseeable future.

The Aussie Muslim cleric and his comments matches the current fracas in the UK over wearing of veils, and is no coincidence.

Muslim traditionalists deny their ambition is to create two religious blocs around the world, warily eyeing one another with thinly veiled suspicion. But their tactics are undeniably an effort to keep Muslims "pure", separate and living apart from the rest of the world.

If such an attitude fostered only monastic devotion, that might offer a countervailing argument, but the regular result of an isolated muslim community is suspicion, anger, alienation and despair. Not surprisingly, a ghetto against the world is too often a synonym for much of the MidEast

[wolf563]

Simply deport him back to his sand box of a country where the women and men wear dresses and the camels live in fear instead of women .Our women are beautiful and we do not hide them with shame like the arab nations do .

[xenalily]

What part of RADICAL MUSLIM CLERIC don't you people get? RADICALS ARE NOT POLITICCALY CORRECT NICE PEOPLE! Don't group the rest of the Muslim religion in with this man's beliefs. Other Muslims are outraged and demanding an apology so don't start throwing out 'those people' comments equating what one deplorable radical religious freak says with a the whole country of Iraq- that's how Bush gained support to invade- oh excuse me- liberate -Iraq in the first place. There are whack jobs in every religion! It's a slippery slope here so don't fall down on the dumb *** side by clumping people together!

[rsoxfan1123]

xenalily- from what I have read of the Koran, the "radical" ones are the ones most closely adhering to its teachings. The liberal ones that disagree with this guy are the equivalent of Christians that have gay pastors. They have to ignore parts of their holy book to "modernize".

[fallngempire]

Western tolerance only goes so far.

[saransk]

First, while the cleric's comments might be more appropriate for the 11th century not the 21st - calling him names and curses doesn't really make anyone else better.
I personally think that the main seperation between the "Western" religions and the Muslim world is that 2 major changes have never happened for Islam, the Reformation, and the "Age of Enlightenment."

Think about Christianity before the Reformation and think about common thought before "Enlightenment." Not so different than what is often reported from Islamic religious leaders.

Islam has never been forced to review and discard those non-religious practices that have no use in the world. Much of what is reported as Islamic "backwardness," etc. has its roots in tribal society and not theology. It needs a reformation to clean out the excesses.

Islamic society also has not severed the ties between the state and the church as western countries have. There is no secular power to reign in the demigods of ISlamic extremism - it is all about power.

[tpeks40]

This idiot has meat between his ears. He must like boys...

[rsoxfan1123]

saransk- The Bible has lines in it instructing women to keep their heads covered and not to speak in church as well. All religions seem to have a base of oppression of women that gradually fade as evolution progresses. The muslim world is not only behind in terms of technological advancement but human rights. Is it surprising we'd see this primitive state rear its ugly head through the veneer of polish on top of that false religion propagated by Mohammed?

[xenalily]

rsoxfan1123, all religions are open to interpretation, therefore you reading the Koran may not be the way someone who is raised as a Muslim will view it- you have a Western contextual view. There are Christians that make the equivalent to this Radical muslim's statements- they are fundamental Christians. Until I get a PhD in relgion and in Arabic I can't say exactly what it is the Koran is telling Muslims to do. Perhaps saransk touched on it because religions and their interpretations change over time with social enlightenment. Maybe those of us who feel as though we have been enlightened by living in a Western nation should take the high and road and refrain from calling people in the Muslim religion names and discounting every single one because they belong to that religion. I work with a Muslim- should I go over to his desk right now and tell him that he is a towel head desert dweller who hates Americans all because of what this Radical Muslim has said?

[shjeha]

You're mouth looks like a *** with poop spewing out.........

[shjeha]

You're mouth looks like a *** with poop spewing out.........

[rsoxfan1123]

xenalily-nope.

[tomflint69]

If we would advise something to Muslim women (veil row), sure their men would advise our women. Why we need to panic as most of our friends are.

[tomflint69]

If we would advise something to Muslim women (veil row), sure their men would also advise our women. Why we need to panic as most of our friends are.

[rsoxfan1123]

xenalily -some of that stuff Mohammed said is pretty direct, no translation needed. That whole "give the heathen a chance to convert, then kill them if they refuse" thing is pretty hard to misinterpret. take some time to look it up. there are online versions of the koran available.

[rsoxfan1123]

guess who the heathen are?

[saransk]

rsoxfan1123 - You just validated my point.
It isn't religion, but how religion is integrated with the society at large.
The Reformation "broke" the strangle hold the "Church" had on society and allowed the growth of the secular state. The "Age of Enlightenment" allowed societies to move away from superstition and allow the rise of democratic theories. It isn't over, but the Church is just a part of life.

Islam appears to have no central authority to review and reflect on how the world has changed and how Islam needs to grow. While the underlying theology might be relevant, much of the practices may be as outdated as the practices for burnt offerings in The TEMPLE are for Jews, even thought they are written in the Torah.

In the fianl analysis it is again about old men remaining in power. Whether Priests, Cardinals, Popes, Imams, or Sultans. Judiaism and Christianity have outgrown the "bad old times" - it is time for Islam to do the same.

[xenalily]

rsoxfan- Not all Muslims live in the Middle East. And I hate to burst your bubble but we haven't been real champions for Human Rights lately either.

[skidoglowe]

To say that it is a woman's fault is totally wrong. If men to this idiot are sooooo superior, then why would they even bother to do this????? He just said that women are " a piece of meat " which to me basically degrades the woman.........and if this is how woman are thought of, why would a man want to take a piece of that degradation.....I wonder how he feels about the woman that brought him into this world and was she treated as he thinks women should be??? Would he allow it to occur to his own mother had she stepped out wihtout a veil???

[rsoxfan1123]

xenalily- I didn't say all muslims lived in the middle east. nor did I say we are the paragons of virtue. reread my posts. I said that much of what you are calling "radical" Islam is "fundamental" Islam in the sense that it reflects the original teachings of its founder Mohammed. read saransk's posts- that sounds like a professor of religious studies to me. good information.

[tomflint69]

rsoxfan1123, I dont know from where people get such remarks about Islam!
I have a few Muslim friends and they told me that Islam never asks you to force someone for accepting the religion or to women to wear veils.
If that would be the real case either our forefathers had been converted to Islam or were killed by the Muslims in their era of making states.
Such remarks about Islam I think are portrayed by so called Islamic Mullahs and media.

[tomflint69]

If we would advise something to Muslim women (veil row), sure their men would also advise our women. Why we need to panic as most of our friends are.

[xenalily]

rsoxfan- I am having a hard time understanding what you are driving at- so are you saying that everyone who reads and believes in the Koran is going to kill the heathens and the Americans are heathens? If that's your interpretation, and if that really were true then why would a Christian based country allow any Muslims to enter as immigrants or to found places of worship? I am trying to understand what you mean- I'm sorry.

[xenalily]

okay rsoxfan, but that gets us back to the original thing that I said which is that this guy is a Radical Muslim- a fundmentalist- just like we have sects of fundamentalists in the Christian religion and I understand what Saransk is saying- that the Muslim religion hasn't had the chances for enlightment that the Christian relgion has but I still think that even that statement makes it seem as though the Muslim relgion is somehow inferior.

[zbrighteyez]

Seems as if "Muslim men of this ilk" are saying that they are no better than animals, blaming their "bad" behavior on the victim(s). That's like blaming a shop owner for shoplifting or a child for the behavior of a pedifile. Good grief!!!!! Hey guys, get with it and show that you have evolved and are not just lower functioning beasts.

[stezzer]

America is the best country on earth, some of the comments here would not be allowed in the UK.

As a Brit, I'm greatful that news media like CBS in the USA, allows everyone to speak their mind.

Sheik Taj Aldin al Hilali is a nutter, and thank you America, for the freedom to say so.

[angryliberal-2009]

? Why is this making news? There has been much more controversial statements by muslims than this. In fact we all knew this is what muslims think about women. The koran is very clear in its teachings about women. You can force them to have ***, you can beat them if they wont have *** with you....I mean this is all very clear in the koran, google it, youll see. Clerics in the middle east have been preaching this and lot worse than this regaurding women for centuries. So now we know that Islam in the Koran is extremely intolerant of other religions, It specifically mentions Christianity (People of the book) and Judaism (To which it refers its followers as pigs in some verses), extremely ANTI-Semetic, Anti-homosexual (death penalty), ANTI-DEMOCRACY (SHARIA LAw), ANTI-SCIENCE, ANTI-ART (MUSIC IS FORBIDDEN IN THE KORAN), ANTI-WEST, ANTI-LIFE (Kill yourself to kill others) and so on. This is no suprise. Look it up if you dont believe the proof is absolutley indisputable if you take the koran at it's word.

[bretware]

Ya, I've seem under a few Muslim women's veils, and trust me they should keep them on.
But unlike being around the animals in the middle east, I'm pretty sure the women in Australia would be safe from rape without a veil,head scarf,paper bag or what ever.
I would laugh if it wasn't so sad

[tomflint69]

ANGRYliberal, you have told us so much that I doubt you are a Christian lol.... r u a Muslim, if you dont mind telling us????? lol
Do you also know about Christianity?

[tomflint69]

Stezzer, you are right! only we have every due right to give advice to Muslim Women, who are they Muslim men to advise our women? lol.... America gives freedom but to those peole who have any little brain.

[laurieleemoo]

stezzer---THANK YOU for saying that.....its not too often we here anything but hatred for America. Your comment was REFRESHING! THANK YOU!

[bretware]

Ok, this may be going to far but, It seems to me that Muslim women would be safer from rape without a veil on. Maybe a study should be done.