10-26-2006, 08:30 PM
Australia's senior Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali has apologised ..
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Australia's senior Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali has apologised for any offence caused by his comments that immodestly dressed women provoke sexual attacks.
The Australian newspaper reported that, in a sermon delivered last month, Sheik Alhilali likened scantily clad women to uncovered meat eaten by animals.
"I unreservedly apologise to any woman who is offended by my comments," he said in a statement.
"I had only intended to protect women's honour, something lost in The Australian presentation of my talk."
Sheik Alhilali has been widely condemned by Muslim and non Muslim groups for the Ramadan sermon he gave in Arabic to 500 worshippers in Sydney.
According to The Australian's translation, he 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," he said.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Australia's senior Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali has apologised for any offence caused by his comments that immodestly dressed women provoke sexual attacks.
The Australian newspaper reported that, in a sermon delivered last month, Sheik Alhilali likened scantily clad women to uncovered meat eaten by animals.
"I unreservedly apologise to any woman who is offended by my comments," he said in a statement.
"I had only intended to protect women's honour, something lost in The Australian presentation of my talk."
Sheik Alhilali has been widely condemned by Muslim and non Muslim groups for the Ramadan sermon he gave in Arabic to 500 worshippers in Sydney.
According to The Australian's translation, he 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," he said.
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