Advertisement

We can’t let fanatics change us: Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has cautioned that those who try to tag all Muslims with responsibility for the crimes of a tiny minority are undermining the national interest.

The Prime Minister on Monday again offered his condolences to the family of Curtis Cheng, who was shot dead 10 days ago in front of the NSW

Police headquarters in Parramatta in a terror attack carried out by 15-year-old Farhad Jabar following Friday prayer.

Tony Abbott retreats to backbench
PM Turnbull takes huge lead over Shorten
PM issues call for respect

Speaking in parliament ahead of question time, Mr Turnbull also condemned the terror attack in Turkey at the weekend – the country’s most deadly to date – which killed at least 97 people and injured hundreds more.

Mr Turnbull, who has called a meeting of security chiefs on Thursday to discuss ways of improving efforts in combating violent extremism said Australia “should never give fanatics the satisfaction of changing the way we live or the way we express ourselves”.

The fact that the “atrocity” in Parramatta was perpetrated by a 15-year-old boy “reminds us that this must be a first order priority for all of us”.

But Mr Turnbull, who met with Muslim leaders last Friday, said it was crucial the threat from violent extremism was met with a united front.

“It is critical that all of us understand those who try to tag all Muslims with responsibility for the crimes of a tiny minority and convert that into a general hatred of all Muslims are undermining our national interest,” he told parliament.

“They are making the work of the police and the security services and governments seeking to prevent violent extremism that much harder. They make the work of parents and community leaders who seek to prevent violent extremism that much harder.”

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten said the attack in Parramatta two Fridays ago “as Australia prepared for a weekend devoted to sport and celebrations” had caused Mr Cheng’s family and his colleagues to be “jolted into mourning”.

The actions of Jabar were “truly beyond any parent’s comprehension”.

“As a father, I cannot imagine the grief and guilt, the horror of your child, the one you love, choosing to end their own life by murdering an innocent man he didn’t even know,” he said.

Both leaders also condemned bombings at a peace rally in Ankara on Saturday.

The attacks have raised tensions in Turkey just three weeks before snap elections are due on November 1 and as the military wages an offensive against Islamic State jihadists and Kurdish militants.

Advertisement
Stay informed, daily
A FREE subscription to The New Daily arrives every morning and evening.
The New Daily is a trusted source of national news and information and is provided free for all Australians. Read our editorial charter.
Copyright © 2024 The New Daily.
All rights reserved.