Sheik to stay but apologises for offence

Australia's senior Muslim cleric cannot be sacked or deported despite the outrage caused by him saying immodestly dressed women invite sexual attacks.

Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali "unreservedly" apologised for any offence caused to women by his comments, made in a Ramadan sermon last month.

But he said he had been misunderstood and added: "I had only intended to protect women's honour."

The mufti of Australia and New Zealand is under intense pressure from within the Muslim community over the sermon in which he likened scantily-dressed women to uncovered meat eaten by animals.

Many Muslim leaders and groups distanced themselves from his remarks and some called for their religious figurehead to stand down.

Five Muslim leaders at Gallipoli Mosque in Sydney's west said many Muslims were "sick and tired" of religious leaders like Sheik Alhilali claiming to speak on their behalf.

"Whether he steps down or not, I think it's time for Australia's Muslim faith to have a religious leader who has a better understanding of Australian laws, Australian values, and the Australian way of life," said Alia Karaman, one of three women in the group.

A former member of the federal government's Muslim Advisory board, Iktimal Hage-Ali, said she had listened to a recording of Sheik Alhilali's speech and believed he should be stripped of his position.

"I was just flabbergasted," she told ABC radio.

Prime Minister John Howard labelled Sheik Alhilali's comments "appalling and reprehensible".

"They are quite out of touch with contemporary values in Australia.

"The idea that women are to blame for rapes is preposterous."

Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward suggested the sheik be dumped or deported, saying: "I think it is time he left."

But, as an Australian citizen, the mufti cannot be deported and in his position as Islam's most senior religious figure in Australia, he is not answerable to any organisation.

The Egypt-born imam came to Australia in 1982 and cannot have his citizenship revoked.

He was appointed mufti by Australia's peak Islamic body, the Federation of Islamic Councils of Australia (FICA), 15 years ago, but no-one has the authority to sack him.

"Nobody can sack him because it's not an elected position," said Amir Ali, the chairman of the Prime Minister's Muslim Community Reference Group and immediate past president of FICA.

The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) can withdraw his right to speak at Sydney's Lakemba Mosque, where he preaches, but has given him "the benefit of the doubt" until it reviews the tape of his contentious sermon.

Sheik Alhilali appeared badly affected by the backlash to his remarks, with a spokesman saying he was depressed and confined to bed all day, breathing with the assistance of an oxygen tank.

The storm of outrage followed The Australian newspaper's translation of his speech last month.

According to the translation, Sheik Alhilali said: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat.

"The uncovered meat is the problem.

"If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab (Islamic headscarf which covers the hair neck and shoulders), no problem would have occurred."

In a statement later, the sheik apologised but said the translation misrepresented his intentions.

He also rejected calls from across the Muslim and non-Muslim community to retract his comments.

In the statement, he said his speech related to religious teachings on modesty and did not condone rape.

"I condemn rape and reiterate that this is a capital crime," he said.

He also told the Nine Network he would not resign, and that he believed he had the support of Australia's Muslim community.

He added: "It's a woman's prerogative and right to dress how she wishes in this society - nobody can force or expects to force or compel a woman to dress in a particular way."