"We are not happy with the way the government works with the Islamic community. There's no consultation," Mehboob said.

CAIRO, August 14, 2005 (IslamOnline.net) – Australian Muslims are preparing for an all-inclusive meeting to consider a plan of self-policing young Muslims in the country, a leading Australian newspaper reported Sunday, August 14.

"We need to carry out activities to direct youth and win them over," Amjad Mehboob, spokesman of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

"We cannot allow radical elements to go down that track (terrorism). We don't want that to happen."

Last month, the Islamic body said it was to take an unprecedented step of writing to Muslim leaders across the country to ask them to preach against terrorism and promote peace.

Australian Mufti Sheikh Taj Al-Din Al-Hilaly had called for deporting imams preaching violence and barring entry to visiting figures with controversial views.

Prime Minister John Howard had criticized some Muslim leaders in Australia for what he termed as "failure to denounce terrorism".

Muslim organizations in Australia estimate the number of Muslims in the country at 350,000.

Australia's Muslims want to work on the self-policing plan before a proposed meeting with Howard, which has not yet been scheduled, the Herald said.

The plan is an effort to prevent the heavy-handed measures of security agencies against the Muslim minority.

Mehboob expressed concern over the way the Australian government deals with the Muslim minority.

"We are not happy with the way the Government works with the Islamic community. There's no consultation."

He said Muslims were worried the government could move too rapidly and deport Muslims suspected of terrorist links, even if they were citizens.

Australian Muslims have decried anti-terror measures, which include detaining people on terror-related suspicion for up to seven days and questioning them for up to 48 hours without charges.

They maintain that security measures create a climate of fear and apprehension among the Muslim minority in the country.

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".