Tom Allard and Alan Macarenhas - A LEADING Islamic cleric's explanation for his suggestion that women who were raped had their immodest dress to blame has been deemed unsatisfactory by the Federal Government.

The Lakemba-based imam Taj el-Din al Hilaly - said to be ill and depressed - issued a statement from his bed late yesterday saying he was shocked about how his remarks last month had been interpreted.

He was responding to a storm of protest, including widespread calls for his resignation, after he told a gathering that women were "weapons" used by "Satan" to control men and calling for Muslim women to cover their bodies.

"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?" he said. "The uncovered meat is the problem � if she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred."

Sheik Hilaly said the comments were made in the context of premarital fornication, which he said was caused by women "90 per cent" of the time.

"I condemn rape," he said in the statement yesterday. "I unreservedly apologise to any woman who is offended by my comments. I had only intended to protect women's honour."

The parliamentary secretary for multicultural affairs, Andrew Robb, rejected the explanation from Sheik Hilaly. "We wouldn't have this problem if Sheik Hilaly spoke in English. He has been here 30 years."

The Prime Minister, John Howard, described the remarks as "appalling and reprehensible", a sentiment echoed by the Labor leader, Kim Beazley.

Sheik Hilaly calls himself the Mufti of Australia, an honour given to him 17 years ago by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, but many Muslims do not recognise this status and have called for him to relinquish it.

But the federation's past president, Ameer Ali, backed Sheik Hilaly, saying he had used "over the top language" but remained "still the most knowledgeable cleric in Australia".

The Lebanese Muslim Association, which allows him to preach at its mosque in Lakemba, is considering its position.

Source: smh.com.au