May I have a word? I'm sorry

A Muslim cleric in Australia, Sheikh Taj El-Din Al-Hilali, ignited a firestorm of protest when he appeared to blame the victim for being raped. He was quoted as saying:

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

I'm pretty sure that I won't agree with much of this cleric's view of women and women's rights, but I will say that he knows how to apologize. He quickly issued this statement:

"I unreservedly apologise to any woman who is offended by my comments. I had only intended to protect women's honour. Women in our Australian society have the freedom and the right to dress as they choose. Whether a man endorses or not a particular form of dress, any form of harassment of women is unacceptable."

He apologized.
He professed his good intentions.
He stated his position, which women's rights advocates should agree with.

Contrast this with Pope Benedict's reaction to the protests provoked by his speech at Regensburg University in which he quoted from a fourteenth century Christian emperor who said Muhammad had brought the world only "evil and inhuman" things.

The pope apologized.
He professed his good intentions.
But he didn't retract the sentiment of his speech, which is that Islam is tainted by violence and is in some way, evil. Muslims were not appeased.

That man doesn't know how to apologize.