Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilali, the Australian Islamic cleric who compared unveiled women to “uncovered meat” (therefore deserving of rape) has come in for a lot of mockery for his Dark Ages beliefs. But here’s a reminder that behind the seeming buffoonery of his statements is a seriously bad person—as Australia’s Lebanese Muslim Association is forced to issue an apology and pledge to repay Muslims whose donations to the Sheik’s “charity” were apparently handed over to terrorist supporters: Pledge to repay Hilali’s donations.

THE nation’s most powerful Islamic association has promised to repay more than $US10,000 ($13,000) in donations raised by Australian Muslims for Lebanese war victims that ended up being handed over in cash by Taj Din al-Hilali to a “suspect” radio station in Lebanon.

The Howard Government has also attacked Sheik Hilali, the mufti of Australia, for betraying the trust of Australian donors by dishing out money to supporters of Iraqi jihadists.

Lebanese Muslim Association president Tom Zreika said yesterday his organisation was prepared to pay back donors any money that Egyptian-born Sheik Hilali could not properly account for.

He said the LMA would launch an investigation into exactly how Sheik Hilali distributed the $70,000 raised by the organisation in conjunction with other Islamic bodies, following last year’s Israel-Hezbollah conflict in southern Lebanon.

“We will take all the necessary steps to bring to account any mishandling of funds in Lebanon and will further investigate the $US10,000 given to a suspect radio station,” Mr Zreika told The Australian, referring to the Islamic Tawhid radio station, which supports jihad in Iraq.

Previously at LGF:
Thousands of Terror Supporters in Sydney