The Independent – 27 October 2006:
Australia’s most senior Muslim cleric has been forced to apologise after provoking widespread outrage with a speech in which he appeared to blame women for rape, comparing them with “uncovered meat” that attracts animals.
Sheik Hilali, Australia’s Mufti since 1989, was quoted as saying: “If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the back yard 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.”
But just what if the dog catcher happens by and he has a mandate to also catch the cats and put them up for adoption but only to caring homes while a nice neighbor puts clear plastic wrap and ice around the meat… well I think you can see where I’m going with this analogy.
RBG
Uhhh, Boys, boys!
You are focusing on the “muslim” part..not on the reality. There are lots and lots of non-religious, undereducated, unsocialized, screwed up males in this country that also “think with the little head”. How many rapes are there a year? (FBI estimates that 72 of every 100,000 women are raped each year, and most think the estimate is low.)
And, in almost every case that goes to court the guy blames the woman. It’s the myth….that women entice men, and men are just doing what comes naturally to them.
Hello?
Even though we do consider ourselves “enlightened” in this country…. we still never radified the “equal rights amendment” (drafted in 1922, voted by both houses in 1975, and failed to radify — 3 states short). Women in THIS country do not have equal rights, only the right to vote. How does it manifest…if a woman in the Army is abused by a fellow enlisted male….it’s ignored. (A male abused by a fellow enlisted male is prosecuted.) Harassment, abuse…eh, “girls asked for it” “boys will be boys”.
So, honestly…the cat will tear through the covered meat, and/or eat the uncovered meat……and that’s just how it is. Women know they are “prey”. They get that lesson pretty early on, and it’s an awareness that you never shake.
Muslim, Christian, Agnostic, Atheist — doen’t matter. Why are we getting our panties in a bunch over what this guy said when Camile Paglia said much the same thing?
Sure, fundie Muslims are misogynistic. But no less than fundie Christians (keep that woman barefoot and pregnant!). And, let’s face it….our culture is based on the misogynist outlook. But, perhaps I shouldn’t “worry my pretty little head about that”.
But other than that, how do you like us?
Interesting take on men. Then by the same logic all women must be sluts who purposely wear sexy, revealing clothes, perfect their come-hither looks and slither over brass poles all day?
RBG
“There are lots and lots of non-religious, undereducated, unsocialized, screwed up males in this country that also “think with the little head”.”
The problem is that you’re comparing admittedly “undereducated” idiots to “Australia’s most senior Muslim cleric.”
If some random Muslim from the street made these comments, they wouldn’t be news. But when the top Muslim dog, er, I mean cat, in Australia makes them, they have a lot more weight.
#23 – Media or no media, the pool of those who are sufficiently psyched to make themselves heard is made up disproportionately of those farther from the center.
Absolutely. This is quite true for politics as well.
Perhaps, he sends his wife to a female gynecologist.
#17. “majority of the Germans”
And much of Europe and all of America was not silent?
What about the Jewish quotas in European countries at that time?
Who was that president who said he would not send his kids (soldiers) in harm’s way?
For what fancy reason did the United States close its borders to Jews fleeing persecution?
And, Lauren the fish is right. If immigrants don’t like Western culture, they should pack their bags and leave.
#25:
Since, Jews and Christians have more respect missiles fired by helicopter gunships, bombs dropped on refugee camps by F-16s, shells fired by battle tanks but not enough for suicide bombers, then perhaps Palestinians and Lebanese should be armed with the latest military hardware.
#28.
Here in India, we have Pentecostal groups who have converted a huge number of people. All of these converts have been told to avoid modern medical treatment because according to them suffering is God-given and should not be remedied. So, even babies and old people are left to die when something as simple as over-the-counter antibiotics would have saved them. Apparently, crazy ideas exist in all religions. They also don’t wear jewellery or watch TV/radio or listen to music.
In the US and several other countries in the West, there is opposition to abortion. The Pope opposes the use of condoms! (Seriously, what is this?) So, there is no need to exception in this case.
#30. Why should ordinary Muslims apologize for a few crazies? Should all Christians (even those outside the Western world) apologize for Bush? Should all Jews apologize for Ariel Sharon? Why should Muslims PROVE themselves they are good? Who issues the certificate and what authority does anyone have to demand one?
“Why should Muslims PROVE themselves they are good?”
God, do you even have a brain?! Muslims cannot complain about being lumped with Islamic terrorists as long as they refuse to denounce the terrorists! Really, it’s that simple.
And why should any Christian apologize for Bush?! First, unlike the Islamic terrorist movement Bush is only one person. Second, since when is Bush any sort of Christian leader?! The same could be said of Ariel Sharon. He’s only one person and is not a religious leader of any sort.
A better analogy is when Pat Robertson says something stupid, Christians trip all over themselves to distance themselves from him. But of course, Robertson has never DID anything stupid, like kill thousands of people. So, even with that example there is a HUGE difference.
SN, open your head a little bit and let this in.
Terrorists are terrorists. Whether you are dropping bombs from a plane or putting explosives in a bus, you are a terrorist. Bush is a terrorist and so is Osama.
Muslims, terrorists included, try to live their life around the teaching of Islam. So, if they are loaning money to someone, they do it in the manner prescribed in Koran (no or little interest). In the face of great odds, terrorists see Islam as a great motivating force and say they are fighting in the name of Islam.
Apart from that, there is no difference between Osama or Bush or Sharon. They are all terrorists. They kill innocent people.
Muslims DON’T have to prove anything. Terrorists are going to go away once they are condemned?
What’s a typical day for a Muslim be? Hmmm….
Monday: Okay. Three attacks. I will condemn the terrorists..
Tuesday: Nothing today. Maybe I will talk about stock prices with my friends.
…..
31 I live in a podunk town in Michigan (with a very large population of Muslims) and Muslims protested both the Danish comic book fiasco and after the Pope quoted from some ancient text. I saw no protest when thousands were murdered in the 9/11 attacks.
Muslims protested the cartoons becaause it was affected only their community AND they felt that whoever published it (the newspaper) was amenable to reason.
If there was no protest against 9/11, it was because the attacks were not directed against a particular community but against everyone AND because terrorists are not amenable to reason.
Do you think that terrorists are going to change because of protests or condemnations? Asking Muslims to condemn these acts is merely a form of fascism. It serves no other purpose.
Wrong Mo, It should be clear from this blog that there are huge numbers of people in this world who cannot see the difference between Muslim terrorists/extremists and ordinary Muslims. Muslims might want to do something about that.
RBG