A week following remarks made by Egyptian-born mufti, Sheikh Taj Aldin Al Hilali, the Mufti of Australia, in which he called on the Muslim world to unite behind Iran, and said that the Islamic world would never "kneel to its enemies", Australia’s government began piling the pressure on the country Muslims to sack their leader.

Sheikh Hilaly’s remarks came amidst growing international fear over the Iranians’ persistence not to give up their right, under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, to pursue peaceful nuclear technology.

The cleric’s pro-Iranian comments also came at a time of heightened tension between the West and Iran over the arrest of 15 British sailors by Iranian authorities, after they were caught entering Iranian waters.

Sheikh Hilaly, the leader of Australia's biggest mosque in Sydney, has caused uproar over previous remarks he made in which he jokingly said that Muslim Australians had more right to the country than white Australians whose ancestors arrived as convicts.

Also last October, the mainstream media fueled controversy caused by the Muslim cleric remarks during a Ramadan sermon at Sydney's Lakemba Mosque in which he described immodestly dressed women as “uncovered meat”, in an attempt to turn the tide against Muslims living in the West in general and in Australia in particular.

During his visit last weekend to Tehran wherein he attended the International Islamic Unity Forum, the Egyptian born cleric urged Muslims to serve in Iranian "trenches," The Australian newspaper said.

• “Massive embarrassment “

In response to Sheikh Hilaly’s remarks, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer asked Australia's Muslims to sack the cleric, describing him as "a massive embarrassment."

"Here is a man who travels the world making all sorts of completely absurd and incredible comments," Downer told reporters. "This reflects on Australian Muslims and it reflects on Australia.

"My view is that he has just got to be removed as the leader of the Islamic community in Australia and some moderate and reasonable person needs to take his place," Downer added.