Aust PM Not Backing Down on Criticism of Islamic Extremism
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has no regrets about criticising Muslim leaders despite a boycott of his private meeting to discuss Islamic extremism.
The PM angered some leaders with comments about what the community should be doing following the deadly terror attack in Melbourne
“I took a lot of advice from our security agencies before announcing that. I am simply calling out what we need to (call out) in this country, and that is violent, Islamic terrorism,” Mr Morrison told Channel
Seven yesterday.
The meeting follows a deadly terror attack in central Melbourne. A group of leaders, including Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, signed a letter on Tuesday night telling Mr Morrison they wouldn’t be attending the meeting. “Many in the Muslim community including the undersigned are deeply concerned and disappointed with statements made by senior government ministers and the prime minister in the recent past which infer that the community is collectively culpable for the criminal actions of individuals and should be doing more to prevent such acts of violence,” the letter said.
“These statements have achieved nothing to address underlying issues, but rather, have alienated large segments of the Muslim community.”
Mr Morrison tweeted in response that the meeting would be going ahead, with those who want to seriously deal with the issue “rather than look the other way”. “Some have chosen to publicly boycott this meeting. Continuing down a path of denial only lets their communities down. It makes their communities less safe and more vulnerable,” he wrote. Mr Morrison told Islamic leaders they need to do more to combat extremism after a man stabbed another man to death in Melbourne’s Bourke Street on November 11.