DAR AL HARB - AUSTRALIA: ***UPDATE***"UNCOVERED MEAT" & "WHITE CONVICTS" IMAM***UPDATE***

Imam 'a liability'

SHEIK Taj Aldin al-Hilali was an embarrassment to Islamic Australians but it was up to the Muslim community to do something about him, Prime Minister John Howard said.The cleric sparked controversy last week when on an Egyptian chat show he labelled white Australians "liars" and said Muslims were more entitled to be in Australia than those with a convict heritage.
In comments aired on Australian television on Saturday night, he called Mr Howard "Mr Me Too" because "he wait for any news from America to say 'me too'."

When asked yesterday if he was offended by the comments, Mr Howard replied: "I have been insulted by experts."

Mr Howard said the mufti was entitled to return to Australia because he was an Australian citizen and had done nothing to breach that right.

But he called on Islamic Australians to do something about the cleric, saying it was in their own interests because he was damaging their community.

"I think the community has got to show a bit of generic leadership. He is an embarrassment to Islamic Australians," he said.

"I worry about the damage his behaviour is doing to the image of Islamic Australians within our broader community, I don't want them to be hurt by him but they alone have it in their hands to stop that happening."

Mr Howard said it was no good NSW Premier Morris Iemma saying the mufti could stay overseas because it was the last Labor government who were responsible for making the cleric an Australian citizen.

and

Muslim slams 'disgraceful' Hilali
Natasha Robinson and Richard Kerbaj
January 15, 2007

A PROMINENT Muslim leader has likened Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali to Adolf Hitler, saying the outspoken mufti is doing as much damage to Islam in Australia asthe German dictator did to Christianity.

The Australian Federation of Islamic Council's legal adviser, Haset Sali, labelled the sheik's recent diatribe on Egyptian television against Western "liars and oppressors" as insane and said the comments had horrified the vast majority of Australian Muslims.

"He has been about as helpful to Islam in Australia as Adolf Hitler was to Christianity during the Second World War," Mr Salisaid.

"Hilali increasingly chooses to rewrite what he thinks should be in the Holy Koran, and his sick and vile comments in his recent interviews are not only un-Islamic but also inhumane and highly disgraceful."

The sheik, who is still holidaying in Egypt in what was supposed to be a self-imposed exile, went back on Egyptian television at the weekend to apologise for his comments that immigrants had more right to live in Australia than "Anglo-Saxons who arrived ... in shackles".

The mufti said his comments had been taken out of context - the same claim he repeatedly made following the furore that erupted after he likened immodestly dressed women to uncovered meat.

Speaking at the weekend, with his daughter and son-in-law at his side, he was at pains to stress his admiration for his adopted home. "I love Australia," he said. "I respect the Australian nationality, Australian society, the land of peace. Australia is the best country in the world."

NSW Premier Morris Iemma dismissed Sheik Hilali's defence that his earlier comments had been again taken out of context. "He is a man who, really, we should not attach too much credibility to, because he just doesn't have any," Mr Iemma told Southern Cross radio.

Sheik Hilali also said during the interview screened last week that the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks had influenced a judge who handed down a 55-year sentence to Lebanese Muslim gang rapist Bilal Skaf.

He had claimed that prior to September 11 the "worst crime in Australia had received seven years' jail".

The sheik's spokesman in Australia, Keysar Trad, conceded yesterday that the comment was inaccurate.

"The seven-year reference is a generalisation," Mr Trad said.

"We know that that's not an accurate statement. He wasn't trying to be accurate. He was just making generalisations and nothing but generalisations to stress a point."

Mr Trad said Mr Sali's comments were tainted by his involvement in the brawling over AFIC leadership.

"I'm disappointed in him," Mr Trad said. "In the circumstances, it's debatable whether hecan make a fair comment or not."

...

But AFIC, which has the power to abolish the position of Mufti of Australia, is in receivership and fresh elections for a new executive board are not expected until next month.

Mr Sali, who was once close to the sheik but has become a fierce critic, said Australian Muslims needed a head mufti as much as they needed a "crocodile in the back garden" and described Sheik Hilali was like "a bull in a china shop.

"In reality, Sheik Hilali is no longer the Mufti for Australia," Mr Sali said.

"Although when it suits him he likes to call himself the Mufti of Australia."


We shall see what happens during these 'elections' especially since Halili is supposedly no longer the Mufti of Australia...I say this is nothing but some really good taqiyya on the part of the moslems in Australia...

Pertinent Links:

1) Imam 'a liability'

2) Muslim slams 'disgraceful' Hilali