Man claims Australian Muslims are 'justified' to join IS

The first Australian ever charged under the nation's counter-terrorism laws has claimed a Liberal minister's comments “justified” Australian Muslims joining Islamic State.

Zaky Mallah, who was charged but ultimately acquitted with planning a terrorist act in Sydney in 2003, made the explosive claim on Monday night’s episode of Q&A.

Mr Mallah admitted he had “done some stupid things including threatening to kidnap and kill” when he was younger, before posing a hypothetical question relating to the current debate over whether homegrown terrorists should be stripped of their Australian citizenship.

“What would have happened if my case had been decided by the minister himself and not the courts?” he asked the panel.

Foreign Affairs and Trade parliamentary secretary Steve Ciobo told Mr Mallah he would be happy to see him sent out of the country.

“I am not familiar with the circumstances of your case ... but from memory I thought you were acquitted on a technicality rather than it being on the basis of substantial finding of fact.

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“I got to tell you ... my understanding of your case was that you were acquitted because at that point in time the laws weren’t retrospective but I am happy to look you straight in the eye and say I’d be pleased to be part of a government that would see you out of the country as far as I am concerned.

"I would sleep very soundly at night with that point of view,” he added.

It was then that Mr Mallah made the controversial claim.

"The Liberals have just justified to many Australian Muslims in the community tonight to leave and go to Syria and join ISIL because of ministers like him."

Host Tony Jones then stepped in and apologised for the comment: "I think that's a comment we are going to rule totally out of order. I'm sorry about that. I don't think there is much more to say at this point."

Mr Ciobo added that Mr Mallah’s comments and threats had justified the government’s concerns and done a disservice to the Muslim community.

"I think that it is very wrong, frankly, for you to portray the Muslim population as all being incentivised to do those things. I know a lot of Muslims who are very good people and they can be recoiling at what you just said."

During the episode Mr Mallah also acknowledged that he travelled to Syria when the civil war began.

"I went to Syria to experience the situation for myself and why the uprising had begun."

While Mr Mallah was accused of planning a suicide attack on a Sydney building in late 2003, a Supreme Court jury found him not guilty of the charges in 2005.

He spent two years in Goulburn jail before he was acquitted.

While Mr Mallah's comments sparked outrage on social media, the man himself was unapologetic.