The Australian newspaper reported that Sheik Taj Aldin Hilaly has outraged female Muslim leaders with comments he made during a Ramadan sermon to 500 worshippers in Sydney last month.
In the sermon on the topic of adultery, he compared the plight of women who suffered sexual attacks to uncovered meat.
"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?," he reportedly said.
"If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred."
The Sheikh also said women were "weapons" used by "Satan" to control men.
Rape defence
The Mufti also alluded to the Sydney rapes in 2000 where four women were separately gang-raped by a group of young Muslim men.
In the sermon he mentioned the jailing of group leader, Bilal Skaf, who was sentenced to 55 years jail but later had the sentence reduced.
Sheikh Hilaly reportedly said there are women who sway suggestively and wear make-up and inappropriate clothes, and then a judge without mercy gives you 65 years.
However the Sheikh later clarified his comments, telling the newspaper he only meant to refer to prostitutes as meat, and not any scantily clad woman without a hijab.
He also said Skaf was guilty of rape and deserved such a sentence.
Muslim outrage
Australia's most prominent female Muslim leader, Aziza Abdel-Halim says she was "disgusted and offended" by the Shiek's statements.
Her anger was echoed by Young Muslim adviser Iktimal Hage-Ali, who said she does not wear a hijab and said it is not worn to prevent rape or harassment.
She said it is up to "males to learn how to control themselves".
The Ethnic Communities' Council of Victoria also slammed the comments.
"These unacceptable comments ... do not reflect the values of ethnic communities or of many mainstream Australian Muslims," said council chairman Phong Nguyen said.
"Cultural diversity and equality between the sexes in Australia means that women are entitled to dress as they choose and should never be judged on their dress choice."