I was appalled, as one would imagine, at the statements of Sheik Taj al-Din al Hilali down in Australia regarding women, "uncovered meat" and rape. Some of his well reported statements are as follows from The Australian as reported by Islam Watch:

"In a sermon during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Australia's highest cleric and Egyptian‑born Mufti, Sheik Taj al‑Din al‑Hilali, raised an international media stir culminating in waves of condemnation over his claim that immodestly dressed women attract rapes and the fault lies squarely with the women themselves. In the September 27th sermon, delivered in Arabic in Australia's largest mosque in Sydney, attended by 500 worshippers, 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? The uncovered meat is the problem." He added, "If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred." He added women were "weapons" used by "Satan" to control men. "It is said in the state of zina (adultery), the responsibility falls 90 per cent of the time on the woman. Why? Because she possesses the weapon of enticement (igraa)", said the Mufti. [The Australian, 26 Oct., 2006]"

Much writing has been done on this speech, or rather its translation into English and the questions about translation, but even the Sheik hasn't been able to cover his tracks on this issue. Maybe this is because what he says is insulting to both sexes and so far beyond the pale of being compatible with Western values that it raises again the question of possibilities of integration.

Let us be clear on this, he has effectively let men off the hook by declaring them basically unable to control themselves. He has also insulted women who have been victimized by what is seen conventionally in the West as a crime of power and victimization rather than one of uncontrolled lust. His further statement that women are weapons used by satan is perhaps the most appalling, though the most absurd and over the top. Personally, I am simply outraged that anyone would dare to, in a Western country (in which he doesn't even speak the language of his "host" culture), even assert that women should be in their homes fully covered lest crimes be committed.

This horrific statement is compounded by the news that a VICTIM of gang rape has been sentenced to ninety lashes in our dearly allied Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Please. Now this is why I am a constant critic of many in the feminist movement here in the US and in the West in general. Veering off into aspects of vegetarianism and abstract notions of linear thinking versus circular helps no one save academics, and certainly doesn't help any women trying to combat these very real abuses of women by outdated notions of sexuality in society.

I'm not known for wearing racy clothing in my personal life. If anything, I could basically throw something on my head and be accepted in Muslim circles, or at least by people fond of wool tweed blazers. However, I am also rather into protesting anything that offends me, and Mr. Uncovered Meat has definitely offended me. I am therefore protesting this speech personally, and urge others to follow, by posting pictures of my own uncovered flesh for "incitement" and as my own "weapon" to use in offending these inhuman cretans such as Sheik Uncovered Meat. I have also played a part in starting a contest in this vein at the Infidel Bloggers Alliance.

So tell me folks, are you all riled up and ready to abuse women yet?

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