Australian PM accuses Muslim leaders of denying threat

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia's prime minister has accused senior Muslim community leaders of "continuing down a path of denial" after they refused an invitation to a meeting to discuss the threat posed by Islamic extremists.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison's tweeted response on Wednesday to the Islamic leaders' request for a postponement of Thursday's meeting adds to friction with the Muslim world sparked by his proposal last month to move the Australian embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Morrison called the meeting after a Muslim extremist fatally stabbed a man and injured two others in downtown Melbourne on Nov. 9 before police shot the assailant dead.

Some Australian Muslims were critical when Morrison later said that "radical, violent, extremist Islam" posed the greatest threat to Australia's national security.