Thursday, October 26, 2006

STATEMENT ON RECENT COMMENTS BY SHEIK TAJEDDINE HILALY

We, the undersigned Australian Muslims, wish to declare the following:

a. The views expressed by Sheik Hilaly don't reflect the views of Australian Muslim, particularly those of our generation brought up in
Australia .

b. Any form of violence against women must be condemned. Sexual violence is never justifiable or justified under any religious code, and Islam is no exception to this.

c. We call upon Sheik Hilaly's employers (AFIC and the Lebanese Moslems Association) to immediately investigate the comments made by Sheik Hilaly, to determine the accuracy of the translation prepared by the journalist Richard Kerbaj and to take immediate action against the Sheik should the translation prove substantially accurate and should the Sheik have been found to have made these or similar such comments.

d. We call upon Muslim religious and organisational leaders to make clear their opposition to and abhorrence of all forms of violence against women.

e. Violence against women is not just a Muslim issue. It is an issue affecting all Australians. Sadly, the views apparently expressed by Sheik Hilaly are too prevalent in the broader community, including in conservative and other political parties. Politicians who want to use the unrepresentative remarks of one imam to score political points would be better advised to deal with sexist and misogynistic trends within their own organisations.

f. We call upon Sheik Hilaly to immediately retract the comments made in his address and apologise to his own congregation and to the broader community for his outrageous comments.


Dated: 26 October 2006

Ms Wajiha Ahmed
Commissioner, Community Relations Commission

Mr Saeed Khan
Councillor, Marrickville Council

Ms Semra Batik
Councillor, Auburn Council

Mr Irfan Yusuf
UNIFEM White Ribbon Day Ambassador
Mevlana Lawyers Society

Ms Alia Karaman

38 comments:

Anonymous said...

Muslims Out of Australia!

Anonymous said...

You know, I was just about to say bravo Irf and leave it at that but then I read this part. Just couldn't help yourself could you?

"Violence against women is not just a Muslim issue. It is an issue affecting all Australians. Sadly, the views apparently expressed by Sheik Hilaly are too prevalent in the broader community, including in conservative and other political parties. Politicians who want to use the unrepresentative remarks of one imam to score political points would be better advised to deal with sexist and misogynistic trends within their own organisations."

No its not just a muslim problem, however public support for those who abuse women is. No other ethnic or political leader has ever blamed women for being attacked, nor defended those who attack them. That is the real point but you just can't see that can you?

You condemn those who score cheap political points at the very same time as you attempt to score those same points. Here was a chance for you to step up and you blew it.

Anonymous said...

An additional point

g. We call upon the white race to exterminate the muslim menace as a service to women and all humanity. Tolerance and moderation can only exist in a society without muslims. Muslim oppression of women forfeits any rights muslims may have had if in fact they were once human and not just satanic beastial rapists.

Anonymous said...

The following are extracts from Sheik Taj Din Al Hilaly's controversial sermon given last month, as independently translated by an SBS Arabic expert.

“Those atheists, people of the book (Christians and Jews), where will they end up? In Surfers Paradise? On the Gold Coast? Where will they end up? In hell and not part-time, for eternity. They are the worst in God’s creation.”

“When it comes to adultery, it’s 90 percent the woman’s responsibility. Why? Because a woman owns the weapon of seduction. It’s she who takes off her clothes, shortens them, flirts, puts on make-up and powder and takes to the streets, God protect us, dallying. It’s she who shortens, raises and lowers. Then, it’s a look, a smile, a conversation, a greeting, a talk, a date, a meeting, a crime, then Long Bay jail. Then you get a judge, who has no mercy, and he gives you 65 years.”

“But when it comes to this disaster, who started it? In his literature, writer al-Rafee says, if I came across a rape crime, I would discipline the man and order that the woman be jailed for life. Why would you do this, Rafee? He said because if she had not left the meat uncovered, the cat wouldn’t have snatched it.”

“If you get a kilo of meat, and you don’t put it in the fridge or in the pot or in the kitchen but you leave it on a plate in the backyard, and then you have a fight with the neighbour because his cats eat the meat, you’re crazy. Isn’t this true?”

“If you take uncovered meat and put it on the street, on the pavement, in a garden, in a park, or in the backyard, without a cover and the cats eat it, then whose fault will it be, the cats, or the uncovered meat’s? The uncovered meat is the disaster. If the meat was covered the cats wouldn’t roam around it. If the meat is inside the fridge, they won’t get it.”

“If the woman is in her boudoir, in her house and if she’s wearing the veil and if she shows modesty, disasters don’t happen.”

“Satan sees women as half his soldiers. You’re my messenger in necessity, Satan tells women you‘re my weapon to bring down any stubborn man. There are men that I fail with. But you’re the best of my weapons.”

“…The woman was behind Satan playing a role when she disobeyed God and went out all dolled up and unveiled and made of herself palatable food that rakes and perverts would race for. She was the reason behind this sin taking place.”

Anonymous said...

If the comments made are as reported then I fear the learned gentleman has gravely insulted all Muslim men - by suggesting that they are incapable of rational thought and behaviour and by inference equating young Muslim men with animals - or at least having the same limited self-control as cats through his 'Cat and meat' analogy.

The daily example of the vast majority of Muslim men living in Australia (and particularly now, just following Ramadan when we have seen such examples of pious devotion and self control) gives the proof of his error.

Anonymous said...

'Milkshake Hilaly' should realise that in Australia we demand the right for women to walk around drunk and half naked without the fear of being raped. Ain't gonna happen, but why pass up an opportunity to bash the Muslim community by proxy? Even if there are at least a few good Muslims.

What's the matter with him; doesn't he recognise a civilization when he sees one? We might not have a brain cell apiece in common, but we sure know when we are right.

Good lord, I can remember any number of fire & brimstone sermons that were at least as bad. And let us not forget that it was essentially a fire & brimstone sermon.

We should grow up and stop this feeble minded search for Muslim scapegoats for our own failings. Yes, our own failings: we only have to look at the rape & divorce stats to realise it. While we are at it, look at the domestic violence stats as well.

A failing society always looks for scapegoats; and ol' 'Milkshake' is the bunny; if we can get something to pin on him.

Anonymous said...

Could someone name a muslim who isn't a rapist and doesn't frequent prostitutes and who doesn't keep a mistress? Then try and name a muslim who doesn't hold at least one of those ambitions.

According to Irfan Yusuf there are five muslim men who will be ambassadors for White Ribbon Day.

Can Irfan Yusuf guarantee that each of those five men is not a rapist, doesn't frequent prostitutes and doesn't keep a mistress? And furthemore that none of them have the ambition to do one of those things. Surely such things would be inconsistent with being a White Ribbon Ambassador. But entirely consistent with being a muslim.

Anonymous said...

anon@111, can you give us a guarantee that priests from either the catholic nor anglican churches will not molest boys or protect pedophiles?

Irf said...

Pat, this statement is taken almost verbatum from the UNIFEM Australia website. Are you suggesting the organisers of White Ribbon Day are a bunch of defensive Muslims?

Anonymous said...

The big issue is not whether or not women should or should not dress demurely or be skimpily-clad - but whether men and boys should be expected to have the respect, honour and discipline to treat women with respect whatever they may be wearing, and in whatever circumstances they should meet them. Aren't we all brought up never to judge a book by its cover. The analogy of cats and meat is to reduce men to mindless animals incapable of self control, without morality or conscience and with no ability to make a choice and to be responsible for their own behaviour. These are standards we should expect from all human beings regardless of race, creed or gender.

Anonymous said...

Can someonbe tell me why it took a month for this sermon to appear... maybe because we don't want Muslims? Islam out of the media .. we need more hatred,ad more reason for war abroad.
In regards to the letter about every muslim needing a mistress or visiting a pro or wanting to rale don't this feel in the domain of the entore MALE population no matter what religion. but the question is why do you do this.. racism prehaps.

Anonymous said...

This nut seems intent on displaying the only education he has ever recieved from Islamic teaching:

Anonymous said...
anon@111, can you give us a guarantee that priests from either the catholic nor anglican churches will not molest boys or protect pedophiles?

2:33 PM


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4084951.stm

A Pakistani minister has revealed hundreds of cases of alleged child sex abuse at Islamic schools, or madrassas.

There were 500 complaints this year of abuse allegedly committed by clerics, Aamer Liaquat Hussain, a minister in the religious affairs department, said.

That compares with 2,000 last year, but as yet there have been no successful prosecutions, Mr Hussain told the BBC.

Aisha said...

okay i totally agree that women should not be held responsible for rape, and i can see the anger at that, but would you for one moment take a minute to consider the sheikh's side of the story? people are all too quick to judge and yell out in anger. could you imagine that maybe, just maybe, the sheikh was saying this because he feared for these women, and perhaps was sending out a message for them to take more care of themselves? i say this because i once made the same mistake as this sheikh here. i was trying to say that women should be more careful, to try to protect themselves against crazy animal-like men, and i said this more out of personal anguish than anything, as one of my closest friends was sexually harrassed, and by those who she would've never expected it from. are women to blame? no, that's definately not what i meant. but one who's in a dangerous neighborhood should take extra precautions - and you can't argue with that. i hope all rapists burn in hell, there definately is no justification... but there is nothing wrong with taking more care to protect oneself against those who have no care for anything but their own pleasure.

i hope i got my point across...
peace

Anonymous said...

Augustus said... "No other ethnic or political leader has ever blamed women for being attacked, nor defended those who attack them."

What?!

Have you never heard of Dr Hollingworth, the former Govenor-General of Australia - the very pinnacle of the Australian government? Don't you remember that not only did he cover up the sexual abuse of a parishioner, but suggested another sexually abused girl (a 15 year old) "initiated" the "relationship" (i.e. predatory sexual abuse of herself) - which implied she was mostly to blame for her own abuse at the hands of a priest. (Thank God Hilaly doesn't actually DO the things the Archbishop has done! Small mercies.) That G-G was an Australian through and through, representing not just an ethnic or religious group, but all Australians. You are either a fool for not knowing this or a blatant hypocrite for ignoring it.

And have you never been into a NSW courthouse to hear prosecutors, defence barristers, magistrates and judges alike refer to victims of rape as being "provocatively dressed" and as "suggestively dressed" thereby either implicitly or explicitly implying the rapist was not entirely at fault?

And haven't you read the letter to the SMH from Reverend Dr Vincent Zankin? It reads:

Australia's Muslim leaders should not be bullied by Peter Costello into condemning Sheik Hilaly. The hijab has a dual purpose in Islamic tradition: it is there to protect a woman's dignity and it signals that she is not to be seen as a public sex object, but that her life is consecrated before God. This is why Sheik Hilaly is correct that when a woman is "covered and respectful" she "demands respect from a man".

The Judeo-Christian ethic of individual freedom can be taken to such extremes so as to reduce a woman's status to a level where she is held as worthless.

So before anyone starts throwing stones at Sheik Hilaly, they should first recognise and acknowledge some very basic facts about the fundamental nature of human sexuality.


Before you bring your stones to throw, you should first smash out all the windows in your own glasshouse.

Anonymous said...

We need some muslims in this country for scientific experimentation specifically for a 'gene bomb' and a muslim specific ebola virus. Castrate the rest of them. And then deport them.

Anonymous said...

Arch Bishop Hollingworth made similar comments when claiming that a 15 year old girl initiated a sexual relationship with a bishop. He was sacked as Governor General. In my catholic school in the 60s I was taught by nuns that girls are responsible for mens behaviour and therefore we were to dress modestly to protect them against sin. These ideas are not particular to any group. The positive is that Muslim women are being given a voice in the media to refute this idiot

Anonymous said...

Zionists are attacking muslims with lies. Shwik Hilaly says what everybody knows. Irfan Yusuf is a brothel creeper and prostitute payer whose does the work of President John Howard. Yusuf Irfan put John Howards penis in mouth. Penis in ass from strangers mens maximum homosex Yusuf.WWe will kill all traitors with knive and gun. Yusuf is the first of manys traitors whos wills dies.

Anonymous said...

Irfan,

I am not sure how you put up with such abusive comments. I have been reading some of the non-sensical abusive comments thrown at you apparently by some so-called Muslims. It made my blood boil.

I will be categorised as a "hardline" Muslim by many, but whenever I read your articles, I can sense that the words have come from a sincere soul. I do admire your eloquence.

Please keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Muslims Out!

Anonymous said...

Although I share Shaykh Hilali's views on the White House and the legitimacy of Arab resistance, his sermon on women has revealed his lack of sophistication and knowledge of what rape really is.

He has handed his enemies the rod with which they now beat him.

It will be interesting to see if he can weather the storm and survive.

All this is a shame in my opinion because there are few indeed willing to speak out in support of the right of Palestinians and Iraqis to resist occupation like the shaykh.

Hyuwi

Anonymous said...

MUSLIMS OUT!

Anonymous said...

This whole incident is a reminder of how lucky we are. 16 million Australians can be proud of our tolerance and freedom. We can sleep peacefully knowing that whatever is wrong with the world at least we are not forced to live in a muslim country.

Oh I forgot. Someone let the dirty muslims in and they are trying to takeover. Ignorant vicious muslim nazis are breeding like rabbits and raping white women and getting away with it.

Sheik Hilalkebabi looks like a monkey. The rest of them will be like monkeys. Except they will be hanging from the trees with ropes around their necks.

Anonymous said...

The 'Anonymous' posting vitriolic hatreds is also particularly clueless is he thinks it is possible to make a gene specific weapon for followers of a religion.

Anonymous said...

Law Student. Do we have to keep revisting the fact that you are an idiot. How many Greek, Italian or Macedonian sermons have you heard? More to the point, how many did you understand? Not that comprehension on any level is a strong point for you.

Typical Muslim response, rather than look introspectively at the problem, point the finger in a vain attempt at moral justification.

You are a clown and not all that funny. Guess that makes you a failure on another count.

Oh and Hollingworth was sacked for his part in those scandals. I'm not for a minute defending Peter Hollingworth however there exists a real difference between himand Sheikh Hilaly. Hollingworth actually held official posts and at no stage appointed himself.

That seems to be an Islamic epidemic. Appointing one's self to various manufactured positions. It is rarely, not bever, but rarely seen in other ethnic communities.

Anonymous said...

The levels of racism and islamophobia in these comments is sickening. No one is defending Hilaly's views, any more than people can defend Peter Hollingworth's comments when he was governor general that 14 year old girls were seducing Anglican priests! Hollingworth resigned, as he should have, given his failure to understand the issues around rape. Now, he was an Anglican bishop, so there weren't calls for him to be deported or charged with terrorism offences. But his offence was the same.

Just last week we had 'gands of White Christian youths' terrorising and fliming a girl in Werribee - but apparently, respect for women is only lacking among muslim lebanese youths! The double standard is breathtaking.

Anonymous said...

Muslims Out of Australia Now!

Anonymous said...

After reflecting on the controversy over the Mufti's unimportant announcements regarding women and their role in preventing rapes/adultery, I can only come to one conclusion: Muslims in this country are stuffed if they believe for a moment that they can appease the escalating clamour against them. Don't you get it? The more you respond to the bigoted and racist demands to conform/assimilate/change, the more the ante will be upped. They will never be pleased with you.

The rational response to these critics is to let them know in no uncertain terms that if they don't like you - tough titties, they will just have to live with it. There is absolutely no requirement that I can make out, for anybody to assimilate/reform or anything else in a free society. The demands are simply preposterous.

Can somebody please explain just how this sermon was 'discovered' after nearly a month? And who appointed anybody to represent the Muslim community? My feeling is that most Muslims have responded to this issue by giving everyone the finger, justly IMV. All that remains are the a few self-serving, self-appointed 'moderate' Muslims speaking out. I wonder why this is? Can it be that there is no end to the pecksniffery of these people, and no end to the amount of debasement they are willing to endure from those who obviously hate them? They really, really believe that they can occupy some middle ground as 'moderates'. Unfortunately you Yusuf, appear to be too close to an Uncle Tom for comfort. Have you no sense of pride man? Do you not realise they are making you their monkey? Do this, condemn that, ostracize him. Yes sir, massa sir. Wake up man!

Irf said...

Augustus, in the case of Hollingworth, he did resign after he was virtually pushed. But it wasn't the conservative commentariat who did the pushing. Rather, it was people within the Anglican Church and members of the public.

The conservatives, including Howard, were pretending it was all a huge republican conspiracy. They defended Hollingwoth to the hilt, even after he made those unfortunate remarks. Howard refused to take action.

The Lebanese Moslems Association are behaving just like Howard did. They are following the example of a PM who keeps harping on about Aussie values. And they are following John Howard's values. They are defending a cleric with outdated views on sexuality just as John Howard did.

Howard could have asked for Hollingworth to go. He didn't. Neither did the pseudo-conservative columnists from The Oz. They defended Hollingworth. All of them. David Flint's flimsy defence can still be read at Online Opinion.

The LMA should not be criticised by conservatives. They should be congratulated. After all, the LMA are following Howard's example.

Ironically, Tom Zreika (LMA President) is a councillor on Auburn Council. And guess which Party.

I rest my case.

Anonymous said...

What Sheikh Taj said was completely, absolutely disgusting, and out of touch with the views of Australian Muslims. But Irfan is right. Those sorts of comments are made all the time in the wider Australian community. But in the latest surge of Muslim bashing, we seem to be forgetting that one of our white Australian politicians called a female colleague a "skanky ho", our white Australian boys sexually assaulted a girl, filmed the ordeal, and then sold the DVD in Australian schools, and our Anglican governor general suggested that a child was responsible for her own sexual abuse. But of course that's all okay because none of the perpetrators were Muslims.

The current government's attitude towards women is deplorable. Aside from a few token "Australia Says No" ads on tv, the Coalition government has done nothing to advance women's rights in Australia. Provisions in the Sex Discrimination Act have been reversed, funding for women's groups have been cut, and women in violent relationships will now be forced to mediate with their husbands over custody of their children- because apparently, they allege violence out of sheer vindictiveness. The Australian legal system does nothing to help women who experience sexual violence and assault. Do you know how hard it is for a woman do prove sexual assault in the courts? To get the police to actually do something when a woman is being bashed by her husband? So take a look at non-Muslim Australia before you point fingers.

But I do question the media's role in timing this ruckus. Why now, and not when the comments were actually made? Why is it that every round of Muslim-bashing happens to coincide with a piece of news not so favourable to Howard? Howard & Costello's "Muslim vs Australian values" spiel happened to coincide with some bad news about AWB. And coincidentally Sheik Taj's comments were published on the very same day we heard that interest rates were not so low after all.

Nothing like some good Muslim-bashing to make us forget that Howard's Australia ain't such a great place after all.

A.

P.S- Irf- Seriously, dude, the Muslim community needs to hire a professional PR company.

Anonymous said...

Of course we should rape every aussie girl. They let the jews rape Palestine. Until Irfan wrote his lies I have nver heard any true muslim say different. Aussie girls are used to it.

Anonymous said...

It appears that your political leaders in Australia have failed you. They have let this Moslem scum into your country, and now they will not do anything about it. From Paul Keating to John Howard, the response to the Moslem problem is the same. It will choke your country, just as it is choking the UK. The British National Party BNP is the only political party to take a stand against the Moslem menace. Which political party will take the lead in Australia?

Anonymous said...

You are resting your case without answering the charge. Perhaps I should put it more delicately:

Do you Irfan, believe it shows good sense to allow your Mother/Sister/Daughter to dress in provocatively revealing clothes? If not, why not? Do you believe that no responsibility accrues to a female who dresses provocatively and is raped, even if the perpetrator is to be unreservedly condemned for his crime? What exactly is it about the Mufti's statement you find so abhorrent?

It is a question that could legitimately be put to our loudmouth Prime Minister as well. What do you reckon his answer would be? I can tell you, he will pontificate about how it is the right of Australian Women to dress ass they please blah ... blah ... blah. He will definitely not provide an answer. Because ... the MAJORITY OF AUSTRALIANS WOULD SUPPORT A VIEW THAT PROVOCATIVE CLOTHING CONTRIBUTES TO THE INCIDENCE OF RAPE. That is definitely an Australian value - "show your ass and tits and you deserve to be raped - you slut!" - Wanna bet? The PM only goes along with the bashing Muslims part of it, challenge him on the basic underlying argument, and he will be revealed as the hypocritical opportunist he is. It is interesting that his Christian fundie Treasurer is keeping a low profile, he definitely thinks like ol' Milkshake.

Do you really believe that he is blaming the victim by ascribing some responsibility to her?

As an Australian, I would like some of you 'moderate' Muslims to clarify. Is your condemation of the Mufti's statement an act of 'assimilation' on your part? From where I sit, it is you that is disgracing yourself. Sure, the Mufti might be a dickhead for making the statements and providing fodder to people that hate Muslims. But it perplexes me why you go along with it by pretending to uphold a non-existent Assie value.

Anonymous said...

By the way, you must be aware that Australia has the third highest rape stats in the world - after South Africa and the Seychelles. Rape is definitely an Aussie value. Don't believe me? Check it out-

Aussie - Land of Rape and Money

Anonymous said...

Sorry,

I should have posted those stats more accurately:

Rapes per Capita - Third

Rapes by number - Fourth

What do reckon about this Aussie value - Huh?

Anonymous said...

This "law student" is an anonymous pig. Is she wearing a head covering?

Anonymous said...

Law student talks tough. Law student wears all the american nigga gangsta crap in his photo. I bet you get bashed up so easy and sob like a little girl. Homeboy Law student is just a homo in denial.

Anonymous said...

" ....Why are we as Muslims always subject to unfair treatment by politicians and the media? When other communities for the same crime aren't?...."

Who else is raping white women 'leb-style' ?

If other communities are breeding leb rapists then they should be lebonated as well. Lebonated = deported to Lebanon or exterminated.

Anonymous said...

"law student" is just being stupid blaming soldiers and bikies for rapes.

How ridiculous and nonsensical.

moslems feature more prominently in all crime figures than white Australians.