Melbourne: Sending a strong message to those involved in terrorism, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Friday advised people to leave the country if Australian values were "unpalatable" to them.
"It is not compulsory to live in Australia. If you find Australian values, you know, unpalatable, then there's a big wide world out there and people have got freedom of movement," Turnbull said as he asked Australians not to go down the path of violent extremism.
Turnbull's comments came one week after 15-year-old gunman Farhad Jabar gunned down 58-year-old police employee Curtis Cheng while he was leaving police headquarters in Sydney. The teen was gunned down in an exchange of fire with police.
"He was murdered in an act of terrorism by a 15-year-old boy, motivated, we believe, by extremists political and religious views," Turnbull said.
The phenomenon of violent extremism needed to be confronted by all Australians and a culture of mutual respect should be fostered across the country, he said.
Turnbull warned that anyone preaching hatred or extremism is undermining the success of the nation.
"Those who seek to gnaw away at that social fabric are not part of the Australian dream, they are not advancing the interests of our great country. Australia, my friends, has the greatest future ahead of it," he said.
Turnbull had said the attack "appears to have been an act of terrorism".
Meanwhile, Parramatta Mosque chairman Neil El-Kadomi Neil also told the worshippers, "If you don't like Australia, leave."
"You waited long time to come to this country. You should not abuse the privilege you are Australian, which is very important. Get out. We do not need scumbags in the community.
"We reject terrorism," Kadomi said.
The prime minister held face-to-face meeting with Muslim leaders in Sydney this morning.
