Yet more comments about women’s dress

In light of Sheikh Taj’s unfortunate comments on rape and dress, a number of Christian ministers of various denominations have entered the debate about whether there is a relationship between “unwanted sexual attention” and a woman’s dress.

First, we have Perth’s Catholic Archbishop Barry Hickey:

PERTH’S Catholic Archbishop has warned that scantily dressed young women risk attracting unwanted sexual attention.

Archbishop Barry Hickey has also attacked the promotion of condoms as a safe-sex aid.

Then we have Pastor David Hodgens, of the Warrnambool and District Baptist Church:

I confess to being very uncomfortable with the tone and reported content of the sheikh’s comments . . . however, one of the things that seems to have been lost in the ensuing discussion is whether or not the point he seemed to be trying to make . . . ought to be examined. Is there a link between provocative dress and sexual assault?

And finally, Father Dave Smith in a provocatively titled article called Sheikh Hilali had a point!:

In October 2006, Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali, the mufti of Australia, got himself in a lot of trouble over comments made in a sermon, where he allegedly said that if a woman dresses provocatively and gets sexually assaulted, it’s her own fault.

Whether he really said this or not, the question of public dress-codes and their effect on society at large is a subject worthy of serious discussion.

He did have a point, didn’t he? Did we miss it somehow?