Zombie Meat

Well, this is getting ridiculous. Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly (or Hilali), the Australian mufti who compares women to meat, was reported to have stepped aside from his duties on Monday after suffering a mild heart attack. Suppposedly the board the govern his mosque had decided he should stand down for at least three months. So all quiet, right?

Nope, he was back giving another sermon today.

EMBATTLED senior Muslim cleric Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly has hit back at the storm of controversy surrounding his comments comparing women to meat by suggesting an "ethical court" be set up to try him.

Sheik al-Hilaly has called for a judge, two lawyers and two translators to form a court, which would listen to the recording of his Ramadan sermon.

He has said that he will retire from his position if the court finds him guilty of condoning rape or suggesting women are to blame for sexual assaults.

He has also said he will perform 600 hours of community service and wear masking tape over his mouth in public for six months as a penalty.  Read the full statement from the sheik here.

In his sermon at Friday prayers at the Lakemba mosque in Sydney's south-west, the sheik also called for nominations from other clerics for his role of mufti of Australia.

The sheik had earlier promised supporters a "knockout" at his sermon.

Thousands of the sheik's followers had been expected to gather outside the mosque after the sermon in a show of support, but only a few hundred have turned out. 

First off, his word is not worth much given his statement Monday and his coming back to preach again by Friday. The good sign here, I think, is that last sentence. Far fewer supporters showed up than were expected. It could well be that the community has had enough of the mufti and want him to go away.