Women who do not cover up are similar to abandoned "meat" making them responsible for sexual attacks, a senior Islamic cleric has said.

Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali has outraged female Muslim leaders with comments he made during a Ramadan sermon to 500 worshippers in Sydney last month, News Limited newspapers report.

"If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat?" the sheik asked.