AU: Woman reporter's dress offensive to Muslims.

There they go again. Members of the Australian chapter of the He-Man-Woman-Hater's Club getting all up in a girl's face and telling her what to wear... You know how Dinah feels about that nonsense.

"You need to cover up, you mutt."

THIS is the outfit that has been labelled "offensive" and "disrespectful" to the Muslim community. Twenty-three-year-old journalist Latika Bourke was verbally attacked bya group of Muslim men outside a Sydney mosque because of her dress.

"This young man approached me and said: 'You should be wearing more clothes. You need to cover up, you mutt','' Ms Bourke, who works for 2UE Radio, recounted. Ms Bourke, who was wearing a black trenchcoat, knee-high boots and gloves, said she was shocked and humiliated.
"I'm just incredulous as to why they would say that ... what else is there to cover up? They are doing themselves no favours by behaving like this.''

Ms Bourke was waiting to interview controversial mufti Sheik Taj Eldeen Alhilaly at Lakemba mosque when a man aged about 20 confronted her. His friends stood nearby, supporting him, as he verbally attacked her. "He said: Are you aware that this is our Friday prayers? Do you know you're disrespecting our religion.''

Ms Bourke said she replied: "I'm sorry, how?'' He then advised her to cover up and called her "a mutt''. Ms Bourke, a Christian, said she was very conscious of the need to respect other people's religions. "I knew it was important to cover up when you go to a mosque and that's why I wore a long coat and gloves.

"As soon as it happened I looked at myself and thought, 'What am I wearing that is offensive?'''

The incident sparked a flurry of calls to talkback radio on Friday _ mostly criticising the Muslim man and his friends for what they described as being "offensive behaviour''.