Photographic evidence shows Ms Rhiannon and her former NSW upper house Greens colleague Sylvia Hale marching with Sheik Hilali at a protest in Sydney on June 5 last year, holding a banner that reads, "End the siege of Gaza -- break ties with Israel".
Press reports of another rally four days earlier, including reports in Green Left Weekly, list Sheik Hilali and Ms Rhiannon among the speakers, with Sheik Hilali denouncing Israel as a "terrorist state" and Ms Rhiannon condemning the Israeli attack on an aid flotilla to Gaza as "a crime against humanity".
Sheik Hilali provoked outrage in 2006 when he compared scantily clad women to "uncovered cat meat".
When asked by The Australian if she had spoken alongside Sheik Hilali at the first rally, Ms Rhiannon said: "I did not appear with Sheik Hilali as you state.
"I did not see him or hear him speak. I was not aware that he was at the rally. I reject The Australian's attempt to associate me with controversial views held by Sheik Hilali. I condemn Sheik Hilali's comment comparing women in casual clothing to cat meat. I oppose all forms of racism, bigotry and sexism."
But shown the media reports, Ms Rhiannon clarified her movements on June 1, saying parliament had been sitting on the evening in question. "We jumped in a taxi to go down there and as soon as we got there, we were put on to speak," Ms Rhiannon said. "I did not see Sheik Hilali."
Shown the photograph taken on June 5, in which she is marching about 2m from the Sheik, Ms Rhiannon did not deny her presence. "I was not alongside Hilali and the photo shows I am not alongside Sheik Hilali," she said. "The rally was about Gaza and that's why I went along."
Ms Rhiannon's difficulties in distancing herself from Sheik Hilali follow criticism of the NSW Greens during the recent state election for their support of a boycott of Israel. The issue contributed to the defeat of the Greens candidate in Marrickville, Fiona Byrne, after Ms Byrne made contrary comments on whether she planned to introduce the boycott into state parliament, if elected.
Ms Rhiannon later claimed the Greens needed to explain the policy more forcefully and was carpeted by federal Greens leader Bob Brown, who called the policy a "mistake".
Ms Rhiannon last night denied there was any conflict between her alleged speaking engagement with Sheik Hilali and her referral of Cardinal George Pell to the NSW parliamentary privileges committee, for contempt, in 2007. The move occurred after Cardinal Pell warned Catholic state MPs who voted in favour of stem-cell research to consider their place in the life of the church. "Cardinal Pell's comments were attempting to influence a vote in parliament," Ms Rhiannon said. "The sheik's comment (on Israel as a terrorist state), which I oppose, was not linked to legislation before the NSW parliament."
Federal opposition foreign affairs spokeswoman Julie Bishop last night described Ms Rhiannon's comments regarding Israel as "extreme, highly prejudicial and deeply troubling".
