AUSTRALIA: The embattled Sydney cleric Sheikh Taj el-Din Al Hilaly has cancelled his appearance at a major Islamic festival today.

The Eid festival marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan on the Islamic calendar and it is being celebrated in Sydney at a multicultural event at the Fairfield showground.

As many as 35,000 people are expected to attend.

But Sheikh Al Hilaly will not be among them.

His spokesman says the sheikh does not want the recent controversy surrounding him to take the focus off the festival itself.

He has been criticised by both sides of politics this week for comparing women to uncovered meat and declaring his wish to clean the world of the white house.

May I say this Kevin Rudd, you hairy chested animal? When did 'clean' mean 'rid'?

After you got hold of it that's when!

So the Sheikh didn't say 'rid' those words are from Kevin Rudd and the abc so could someone ask kevin rudd to ask the war criminal phillip ruddock about whether controversial comments made by him "rid" the White House,(that is Red with blood anyways), breaks laws against inciting violence?

Police are taking a cautious approach to today's festival, despite the sheikh's absence.

Members of the riot squad are among more than 35 officers being sent to the event?

'Get'? 'rid' ?of the White House, then I'll resign'?

 http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200610/s1775912.htm

SO WHAT HAPPENED TO "CLEAN"?

=======================================

NOW HOW MANY TIMES DO YOU SEE THE WORD 'RID' HERE?

'Get rid of the White House, then I'll resign'
NEWS.com.au, Australia - Oct 26, 2006
... dressed women invited rape. "After we clean the world of the White House first," the sheik said. Supporters of the sheik cheered ...
Australia's Muslim Leaders May Sack Top Cleric, Herald Says Bloomberg
Islamic cleric says he will not resign Taipei Times
Australia Muslims may fire mufti United Press International
Houston Chronicle - Sydney Morning Herald
all 882 news articles »
Ruddock urged to decide legality of sheikh's comments
ABC Regional Online, Australia - 17 hours ago
... Kevin Rudd says the sheikh should be removed from his position, for comparing women to uncovered meat and declaring a wish to rid the world of the White House. ...
Don’t sack mufti for rape row The West Australian
all 4 news articles »
Al Hilaly pulls out of Islamic festival
ABC Online, Australia - 3 hours ago
... He has been criticised by both sides of politics this week for comparing women to uncovered meat and declaring his wish to rid the world of the White House. ...
“Waterboarding” remarks spark new row over US policies
Aljazeera.com, UK - 14 hours ago
... by the US Vice President Dick Cheney at a White House interview on ... constitutional power” to do whatever he deems necessary to rid the world of some non ...
'Rape-row' cleric refuses to resign
Scotsman, United Kingdom - Oct 27, 2006
... he would resign, Sheikh Hilali said: "After we clean the world of the White House first." He ... run around saying: 'Well, the reason they didn't get rid of him ...
By Mark M. Alexander
Town Hall, DC - Oct 27, 2006
... to conquer man's "religious superstitions" and rid the world ... man would imagine the utopian world the Enlightenment ... terrible George W. Bush in the White House.". ...

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 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/354483.html

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What concerns us most of all is that decent people, and there are very, very many of them, would also be very upset about racial scapgoating for the war criminals war on terror that killed over 665,000 innocent musilm men, women and children in Iraq and their having a tough enough time as it is.

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/354478.html

Latest campaign to demonise Islam and intimidate the Muslim Community

“The public furore ignited in response to the reported comments made by Sheik Taj Al-Din Al-Hilali has little to do with the question of crime or culpability. What is clear is that a consistently negative view of Islam and Muslims is being generated in this country with the aim of demonising Islam and silencing the Muslim community.”

 http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/10/354440.html