Lawyers agree with Muslim Cleric
October 27th 2006 11:01
Now before I start i want to make one thing clear. I do not support or condone any of what has been said by Muslim Cleric Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly.
I wish to point however to some of those contradictions of life that seem to play out on the political and broader community stage.
The Sheik’s speech could be forgiven for being a Criminal Defence lawyer's address in sexual assault and rape trails. For years there have been cases of this type where a woman’s dress, demeanour, state of mind (e.g. was she high) and even occupation has been used as a target of the best paid defence teams. All in an effort to undermine the credibility of the victim and to instil a "she asked for it" belief in the mind of the jury.
There has been many a moralist or Christian commentator who is prepared to tell you that a woman’s moral behaviour will lead her in to trouble if she should stray from the correct path.
Now the Sheik’s remarks were extreme and used descriptions that have rightly been condemn from all most passionately by other Australian Muslims. The Sheik does need to go from his position, as even if it is apparently a token one, he has been portrayed as Australia’s most senior Muslim and so should go and preferably I would say out of the country. It should be on his own undertaking though or organised by his Muslim community.
The outrage and condemnation has been long a loud and led by our politicians.
John Howard is a lawyer and i hope as he calls for the Sheik to be silenced that he also calls for the states to change their laws with regard to rape. To rule out the defences of a woman’s character and state as a reasonable defence. I could not agree with Howard and numerous other politicians more when they state that no woman deserves to be raped or sexually assaulted so lets not allow criminal defences to use it as a defence in court. There have been cases where prostitutes have been raped in their job and the fact that they are who they are has seen people walk free from goal. "NO means NO and no woman asks for it lets not forget that.
Lets show how very wrong the Sheik is by setting an example to him in our criminal justice system.
I wish to point however to some of those contradictions of life that seem to play out on the political and broader community stage.
The Sheik’s speech could be forgiven for being a Criminal Defence lawyer's address in sexual assault and rape trails. For years there have been cases of this type where a woman’s dress, demeanour, state of mind (e.g. was she high) and even occupation has been used as a target of the best paid defence teams. All in an effort to undermine the credibility of the victim and to instil a "she asked for it" belief in the mind of the jury.
There has been many a moralist or Christian commentator who is prepared to tell you that a woman’s moral behaviour will lead her in to trouble if she should stray from the correct path.
Now the Sheik’s remarks were extreme and used descriptions that have rightly been condemn from all most passionately by other Australian Muslims. The Sheik does need to go from his position, as even if it is apparently a token one, he has been portrayed as Australia’s most senior Muslim and so should go and preferably I would say out of the country. It should be on his own undertaking though or organised by his Muslim community.
The outrage and condemnation has been long a loud and led by our politicians.
John Howard is a lawyer and i hope as he calls for the Sheik to be silenced that he also calls for the states to change their laws with regard to rape. To rule out the defences of a woman’s character and state as a reasonable defence. I could not agree with Howard and numerous other politicians more when they state that no woman deserves to be raped or sexually assaulted so lets not allow criminal defences to use it as a defence in court. There have been cases where prostitutes have been raped in their job and the fact that they are who they are has seen people walk free from goal. "NO means NO and no woman asks for it lets not forget that.
Lets show how very wrong the Sheik is by setting an example to him in our criminal justice system.
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