Outspoken Islamic cleric steps down in Australia

SYDNEY, June 10 (Reuters) Australia's most outspoken Muslim cleric, who has inflamed anti-Muslim sentiment with comments seen as justifying rape and with his anti-US stance, stood down as mufti, local media reported today.

Sheikh Taj El-Din Hilaly was reappointed mufti of the country's biggest mosque in Sydney, but turned down the position, Australian Associated Press said.

The Council of Islamic Jurisprudence and Research named Sheik Fehmi Naji El-Imam as mufti for two years, the news agency said.

Last November Hilaly caused a stir when he was accused of justifying rape during a Ramadan sermon in which he likened unveiled women to uncovered meat.

Following that controversy, he left Australia for West Asia with some politicians calling on him not to return. Even there Hilaly made news headlines, telling Egyptian television that Muslims had a greater right to be in Australia than white Australians of convict heritage.

Australia has a small Muslim community of some 280,000 people.

REUTERS SLD RN1451