• The Australian
• October 9, 2015 3:12PM
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Malcolm Turnbull at todays press conference.

Malcolm Turnbull has called an urgent meeting of security chiefs to help stop the spread of violent extremism as he called on Australians to reflect on “mutual respect” following last week’s shooting of police accountant, Curtis Cheng.

The Prime Minister said the motivation behind the shooting of Mr Cheng by 15-year-old Farhad Jabar in Parramatta to Sydney’s West was both “political and religious” and described the incident as “an act of terrorism.”

Mr Turnbull said it was not “compulsory to live in Australia” and urged those who did not agree with Australian values to consider leaving the country.

“If you find Australian values, you know, unpalatable, then there’s a big wide world out there and people have freedom of movement,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr Turnbull met with seven Muslim community leaders in the Western Sydney electorate of Reid held by Liberal backbencher Craig Laundy to discuss how best to counter the spread of counter extremism.

He said the Muslim community was a necessary partner in the task to counter extremism and prevent the radicalisation of young people.

“That’s why in Canberra …. I’ve asked for the agency heads working on countering violent extremism from all Australian governments to join our director of counterterrorism to discuss at an official level what more we should do and what we need to do better,” he said.

The proposals developed at the meeting, to be held next Thursday, will be considered by the next session of the Council of Australian Governments.

Mr Turnbull said that respect was a “two way street” and that religious faith should act as a positive force in the community that worked to promote cohesion.

“Extremism destroys the virtues of faith and religion in our community. Muslims, individual Muslims who preach hatred of other Muslims, of Christians, of Jews or others threatened to undermine or social harmony, our prosperity and our security,” he said.

“Equally people 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 also undermining our national interest.

“I want to encourage Australians of all faiths, or of no faith, to reflect on this fundamental value of mutual respect.”

Mr Turnbull said there was “no question” there was a problem with extremism, but said it affected only a “very small minority” of the Muslim community.

He also rejected suggestions that the rhetoric of his predecessor, Tony Abbott, had worsened the problem.