Muslim Cleric backs down

Score one for the rational. After an Australian Muslim cleric basically said that women can blame themselves for getting raped, he has now

apologised for any offence caused by his comments, The Australian newspaper reports.

Yes, I know, it's a nonapology apology. "Sorry, you're so uninformed that you were offended by me", but still, it's a start.

Here's the original:

"If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside... and the cats come and eat it... whose fault is it, the cats' or the uncovered meat?" he asked.

The uncovered meat is the problem, he went on to say.

"If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred," he added.

Sheikh Hilali also condemned women who swayed suggestively and wore make-up, implying they attracted sexual assault.

"Then you get a judge without mercy... and gives you 65 years," he added.

Outrageous!!

And isn't it odd that he doesn't suggest that if these raping men would just stay in their rooms, in their homes, wrapped tightly in a blanket, no problem would have occurred. Oh yeah, that would be what the judge does "without (cough) mercy" in the west. Doh.