Islamic cleric steps down

Taj Aldin al-Hilali attracted controversy instead of friends, said senior Muslim leader Rehin Ghauri.

AUSTRALIA’S top Islamic cleric, who triggered a furore last year when he referred to women without head scarves as “uncovered meat,” stepped down yesterday, prompting Muslim leaders to appoint a new mufti.

Australia’s council of Muslim leaders appointed Sheikh Fehmi Naji El-Imam as the nation’s senior cleric, ending months of controversy over the previous mufti, Sheikh Taj Aldin al-Hilali.