Uncovered Meat's Fault

"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."

-- Sheikh Taj El-Din Hamid Hilaly, the most prominent Muslim cleric in Australia, comparing women who suffered from rape to uncovered meat being pounced on by cats.

COMMENTS by Australia's Mufti blaming immodestly dressed women for sexual assault have been branded as "totally unacceptable" by Treasurer Peter Costello.

Mr Costello wants Muslim leaders to condemn the comments by Sheik al-Taj al-Din al-Hilaly, disassociate themselves from them, and pull their leader into line.

Sheik al-Hilaly's comments were delivered in a Ramadan sermon to 500 worshippers in Sydney last month, The Australian newspaper reported.

He blamed women who "sway suggestively" and who wore makeup and no hijab (Islamic scarf) for sexual attacks.

UPDATE: Almost as disgusting as the statement here by an American priest.