SYDNEY, July 25, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - Australian Muslim leaders rejected criticism from Prime Minister John Howard that they aren't being vocal enough in denouncing acts of violence, asserting they are already doing as much as they can to help Western governments stamp out extremism.

"What does he want us to do?" Australian Federation of Islamic Councils president Ameer Ali told The Age Sunday, July 24.

"Are we expected to knock on every door and ask if there are terrorists inside?

"Nothing can stop anyone in Australia from meeting in a house or a mosque to discuss their views," he said.

"Whenever we come across any groups who are openly, blatantly advocating violence, we bring them to the notice of the . . . authorities. If we find people are preaching hatred or not doing the right thing, then we want them brought to justice."

Ali said, however, it was positive that Howard had tentatively agreed to attend an anti-terrorism summit, proposed to be held in Sydney in the next few weeks.

"But Howard knows we have done enough. What more does he expect us to do? We can't arrest these people, we are not the police," he said.

"Howard knows we have done enough. What more does he expect us to do? We can't arrest these people, we are not the police," Ali said.

A spokesman for the Islamic Council of Victoria, Waleed Aly, said Howard needed to be careful that he was not jumping at shadows, the paper said.

Most Australian Muslims blended into the community and went about their business, he said.

Speaking in London after the latest attacks, Howard said it was Islamic leaders' "absolute responsibility" not to encourage inflammatory attacks or to undermine the value systems of the communities in which they lived.

He singled out Brunswick scholar Sheikh Mohammed Omran for "saying that, in effect, (Al-Qaeda leader Osama) bin Laden is a good man and that the attacks in London were the responsibility of the Americans".

Sheikh Omran has written to Howard denying the claims and saying he wanted to work to make Australia a safer place.

The Age quoted him as saying the Prime Minister's comments were inaccurate and inflammatory.

"This statement of yours does nothing but entice fear into the hearts of Australians… We are more than willing to meet and work with our fellow Australians towards making our country a safer place."

Aly further warned against taking the kind of extreme controls proposed against Muslims in Britain who were suspected of terrorist links.

"They do not live next to an Islamic country. We live next to the biggest Islamic country in the world (Indonesia) and we have to be conscious of the effects any draconian measures might have," he said.

In January, British officials proposed far-reaching powers to control and monitor suspected terrorists without charge or trial, including house arrests, electronic tagging and curfews.

Muslim leaders needed to warn their communities about the dangers of extreme ideology, but the rest of the community needed to exercise common sense, Ali said.

"I do think that we need to be very careful about overdramatizing the situation and making assumptions," he said.

"We know, for example, that Philip Ruddock has already come out publicly and knows of no threat in the Australian community, Muslim or otherwise."

Australian Federal Justice Minister Chris Ellison proposed Sunday, July 24, changing laws to enable security authorities to prosecute Muslim imams involved in religious preaching and writing "inciting violence".

Howard's visit was shrouded in secrecy amid fears for his security, with his staff refusing to confirm the visit until after he had flown into the war-torn nation.