DAR AL HARB - AUSTRALIA: "WAGE JIHAD FOR AUSTRALIA"

Muslims would 'wage Jihad for Australia'

OUTGOING Islamic leader Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilali did a bad job and embarrassed Australia's Muslims, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today.

Sheik Hilali stood down from the position of Mufti of Australia yesterday.

The move followed a series of controversial remarks by the Muslim leader in the past year.

"I have to say I think that Sheik Hilali has done a very bad job as the leader of the Islamic community," Mr Downer said on Sky News.

"I know many Muslims who have been embarrassed by him and have felt he hasn't done Islamic Australia any good at all. Him standing down and a new mufti taking over, it has to be a step forward."

The former mufti's spokesman, Keysar Trad, said Sheik Hilali stepped down because of constant government pressure, with Prime Minister John Howard and Mr Downer telling the Muslim community for six months to find a new mufti.

Mr Trad, president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia, said there had been veiled threats to withdraw government funding from Muslim communities and some government ministers had threatened not to attend events if the sheik was there.

Sheik Hilali sparked outrage by describing scantily clad women as "uncovered meat" and joking about notorious gang rapes by young Muslim men.

He also said Muslims had more right to be in Australia than people brought to the country in chains as convicts.

"They are playing the man and not the ball. If something can be misinterpreted or carry ambiguity, they will go for the worst possible spin, so the mufti has decided to step down and let someone else take the pressure."

He said the council of imams also had appeared to bow to pressure because it did not insist that the sheik continue in his role as mufti.

"Under normal circumstances they would say, `no way' and insist he continue as mufti and not step aside," Mr Trad said.

He described the new mufti, Sheik Fehmi El-Imam, as "a very nice man".

"It appears the media likes him and people in the Muslim community like him."

Mr Trad rejected calls for the position of mufti to be abandoned altogether, saying such demands came from people ignorant of the religion.

"The position of mufti is not like the Pope," Mr Trad said.

"The mufti takes it upon himself to find answers to difficult theological questions. These people calling for the position to be scrapped are acting out of vested interests or gross misunderstanding of the significance of this position."

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Pertinent Links:

1) Muslims would 'wage Jihad for Australia'