Ask An Imam

A poll reveals:

Four in 10 Australians believe Islam is a threat to our way of life... And most people say the religion treats women as inferior and encourages violence.

But a Muslim leader yesterday said most Australians were ignorant about Islam.

Melbourne Islamic cleric Sheik Fehmi Naji El-Imam is right - the other six out of 10 need bringing up to speed:

On 15 August, 2004, Atefah Sahaaleh was hanged in a public square in the Iranian city of Neka. Her death sentence was imposed for "crimes against chastity".

The state-run newspaper accused her of adultery and described her as 22 years old. But she was not married - and she was just 16...

Former revolutionary guard, 51-year-old Ali Darabi - a married man with children - raped her several times. She kept the relationship a secret from both her family and the authorities...

Circumstances surrounding Atefah's... arrest were unusual. The moral police said the locals had submitted a petition, describing her as a "source of immorality" and a "terrible influence on local schoolgirls". But there were no signatures on the petition - only those of the arresting guards...

Three days after her arrest, Atefah was in a court and tried under Sharia law... for the first time, Atefah confessed to the secret of her sexual abuse by Ali Darabi...

She was sentenced to execution by hanging.

Melbourne's Sheik Fehmi Naji El-Imam:

expressed anger at the poll results... "It is not fair at all," the sheik, who is general secretary of the Board of Imams of Victoria, said.

"They don't know what they are talking about - they should know Muslims first before they pass opinions."

Seems we agree on something. Who'd of thunk it?

-- Nick