Grand Mufti tells would-be terrorists: 'Stop messing with Australia'
The Grand Mufti of Australia has some harsh words for anyone praising the deadly shooting of an employee outside New South Wales police headquarters last Friday.
Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed came together with Australian National Imams Councils representatives in Bankstown to reject "deviant so-called religious teachings" in the wake of the killing of NSW Police accountant Curtis Cheng by 15-year-old Farhad Khalil Mohammad Jabar.
Dr Mohamed said violent religious extremism was a rare but serious issue threatening the entire Australian community.
The community leaders stopped short of describing Jabar's actions as an act of terrorism, although Dr Mohamed told those who supported the shooting to "stop messing with Australia and its society".
"Sadly, a very, very small number of Australians of Muslim faith have chosen this path," he told reporters.
"These misguided teachings are imported and not made in Australia," he said. "It comes from Sheikh Google, Sheikh Twitter and Sheikh Facebook."
"We refuse and reject any form of terrorist activities, whether this - if it's proven to be a terrorist act - or any other," he added.
He called for "proper communication between the families and the community and us" as well as security agencies and police.
"We believe that dialogue is the prerequisite of understanding. Australia deserves this for us to remain in a cohesive society," he added.
Three of four released following Sydney counter-terrorism raid arrests
Teen terrorist Farhad Jabar recruited by Sydney extremists 'like a pedophile victim'
The Grand Mufti's firm warning comes after Parramatta Mosque chairman Neil El-Kadomi said members of the Islamic community who threaten to turn violent will be expelled from the Parramatta community.
"If you don't like Australia, leave it," Mr El-Kadomi told Fairfax Media.
"We will not tolerate anyone who wants to get us into trouble."
Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said Mr Cheng's death was the tragic consequence of "people using young people, twisting their heads".
Authorities are trying to discover how Jabar got the gun he used to murder Mr Cheng and how he was prompted to commit the killing.
Three of four males arrested in Wednesday's dawn counter-terrorism raids across western Sydney have since been released.
An 18-year-old man, who cannot be named, remains in custody without charge after investigators applied for a court order extending his stay behind bars.
