SYDNEY - Women who do not cover up are similar to abandoned "meat" making them responsible for sexual attacks, a senior Islamic cleric has said.

The Mufti of Australia, Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali, has outraged female Muslim leaders with comments he made during a Ramadan sermon to 500 worshippers in Sydney last month.

"If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat?" the sheik asked.

"The uncovered meat is the problem. If she was in her room, in her home, in her hajib [Islamic headdress], no problem would have occurred."

He also alluded to the Sydney rapes in 2000 where four women were separately gang-raped by a group of young Muslim men, including Bilal Skaf, who originally received a 55-year sentence, later reduced.

He said there were women who "sway suggestively" and wore make-up and inappropriate clothes, "and then you get a judge without mercy and gives you 65 years".

The sheik went on to say women were "weapons" used by "Satan" to control men and when it comes to adultery the responsibility falls on the woman 90 per cent of the time.

His comments cause a storm of outrage in Australia and he said last night that he "unreservedly apologise to any woman who is offended by my comments".

He said: "I had only intended to protect women's honour."

He clarified his reference to the Sydney gang rapes and said Skaf was guilty and deserved such a sentence.

Earlier, Young Muslim adviser Iktimal Hage-Ali, who does not wear a hijab, said it is not worn to prevent rape or harassment and it is up to "males to learn how to control themselves".

Australia's most prominent female Muslim leader, Aziza Abdel-Halim, said she was "disgusted and offended" by the sheik's earlier statements. President of the Islamic Friendship Council of Australia, Keysar Trad, said the sheik's comments had been misrepresented, although he admitted his analogies could have been better.

A former member of the Government's Muslim Advisory board, Iktimal Hage-Ali said she had listened to a recording of Sheik Alhilali's speech and believed he should be stripped of his position. "I was just flabbergasted," she told ABC radio.

The mufti said he was shocked by the way his sermon was interpreted. "The Australian reported selected comments from a talk presented one month ago. The title was 'Why men were mentioned before women for the crime of theft and woman (sic) before men for the sin of fornication'.

"I would like to unequivocally confirm that the presentation related to religious teachings on modesty and not to go to extremes in enticements. This does not condone rape. I condemn rape and reiterate that this is a capital crime.