Australia’s Dark Ages sheikh Taj Al Din Al Hilali is backpedaling furiously, after being exposed to the world as a misogynistic throwback: Sheik’s love for Australia.

THE man who branded all Australians as convicts and said our women were “uncovered meat” tried to bury the hatchet today, calling Australia a “beautiful bouquet of flowers”.

Controversial Muslim cleric Sheik Taj el-Dene Elhilaly, in his first sermon in Australia for six months, pledged he would always be a moderate and said he would not let “a racist agenda” spoil his love for his adopted country.

The hour-long speech at Lakemba mosque was in his native Arabic, but ElHilaly’s spokesman Keysar Trad said the mufti spoke strongly in favour of Australian multiculturalism.

But his comments were in sharp contrast to remarks he made last year when talking about rape.

Sheik elHilaly said then: “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? The uncovered meat is the problem.”

The Sheik has also called on the Arab world to unite behind the radical Iranian regime in its dispute with America over its nuclear programme.

But as part of a new PR offensive, the mufti made nothing but bridge-building remarks today.

So how are the readers of the Daily Telegraph responding to the mufti’s bridge-building?

Im so fed up of this moron. The sheik is an absolute idiot with no morals and is the biggest bullsh*t artist out there. This man decieves everybody he keeps putting his foot in his mouth and believe it or not nothing is going to change with this degenerate.

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Once again we have Mr. Trad coming out to defend Mr.Hilaly, sense of humour? What a joke! What was the first thing Mr.Hilaly said to the Chaser team? He said “…YOU”RE A RACIST…” a common response from those of his ilk when challenged about anything.

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Too late sunshine.

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this man and i use the term loosely hasn’t seen any sort of light it’s obvious he’s only backflipping and saying all these ‘lovely words’ cause of the outrage and bad publicity he so rightly deserved for the many not only mind bogglingly stupid but downright WRONG things he’s said in the past. I couldn’t care less what his speech contained this guy has his own agenda for Australia in mind and you can bet your arse it’s not in the best interest for true Aussies. This man could not be kicked out of the country quick enough for my liking but then again i’m just a piece of uncovered convict meat hey?

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Oh, please, as if we’re going to buy this piece of tripe for a second.