Here’s a depressing story. The rape-condoning Aussie Imam retains support not only in his country (he’s lived in Australia for almost a quarter of a century, but doesn’t speak any English), but in Britain as well:

Al-Hilaly, in his sermon, also caused offence by saying women were mostly to blame for adultery. ‘When it comes to adultery, it’s 90 per cent the woman’s responsibility,’ he said. ‘Why? Because a woman possesses the weapon of seduction.’

Waleed Aly, a spokesman for the Islamic Council of Victoria, condemned al-Hilali and called for his resignation, saying his views sought to normalize immoral sexual behaviour.

‘We would have liked to have seen some form of fairly strong censure just given the magnitude and the gravity of the comments,’ Aly said.

But other prominent Australian Muslims refused to criticise the mufti. Imam Abdul Jalil Sajid, the chairman of the Muslim Council of Great Britain, who is visiting Australia, sprang to the mufti’s defence. ‘I know he is one of the greatest Muslim scholars on earth and Australia is blessed with him,’ Sajid said.

This is a culture that is simply incompatible with a liberal democracy.