CANBERRA, Australia -- Australia's most prominent Islamic cleric declared Friday that he would not resign for suggesting that women who don't wear head scarves invite rape, saying he would only leave his post "after we clean the world of the White House first."

Sheik Taj Aldin al-Hilali apologized Thursday for comparing women who fail to wear scarves to "uncovered meat." He has been banned from giving sermons for two or three months by the governing association of his Sydney mosque.

Wise Wurds from the Mufti!