THE embattled Taj el-Din al Hilaly was handed a lifeline yesterday as more than 50 imams and preachers nationwide worked on a statement which would give him qualified backing. Despite intense political pressure for him to step down over his controversial sermon on immodestly dressed women, the clerics have rallied to condemn the "intensified campaign" against him that appeared to "wilfully and deliberately" target Islam and Australian Muslims.While their statement, being finalised last night, does not directly deal with Sheik Hilaly's comments, it helps shore up his position just as support from Sydney Muslims has begun to mobilise behind him. "Any campaign that deliberately targets Islam and the Muslim community can only have negative repercussions on the wider community, and unfortunately will only incite hatred against Muslims," the imams said. "We stress that it is for the Muslim community, not external sources or pressures, to decide its own affairs and therefore such inflammatory media campaigns do not serve the interest of our Australian community."
Their support comes as a number of prominent Muslim organisations and ethnic associations are said to be willing to sign a joint statement condemning media and political exploitation of the controversy, and calling for restraint while Sheik Hilaly recovers his health.