CANBERRA, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned Parliamentary colleagues that going out of their way to ostracize Muslims is 'playing into the hands' of extremist terror groups such as Islamic State (IS).
Turnbull made the plea to MPs and Senators on Friday after two members of the Australian Parliament raised concerns over Muslim immigration and their place in Australian society.
"Tagging all Muslims with the crimes of a few is fundamentally wrong and it's also counter-productive," Turnbull told Macquarie Radio on Friday.
"Seeking to demonize or denigrate all Muslims or seek to alienate all Muslims and suggest they're somehow not part of Australia, or shouldn't be in Australia, is exactly what the extremists and terrorists are saying to the Muslim community."
Turnbull's comments come after controversial One Nation Senator Pauline Hanson took aim at Australia's immigration policy. she called for a ban on Muslin immigration to Australia as the nation is at risk of being "swamped" by those of Islamic faith.
She was later joined by lower House MP George Christensen who questioned why some factions of the Islamic society are hesitant to embrace "Australian vales".
"Why did they choose to come to Australia in the first place?" Christensen said in Parliament on Thursday.
"It is not necessary to travel halfway around the world to come to Australia and demand that Australians change their culture, their society and their laws to match those of their former homeland."
Turnbull said Australia is renowned for being one of the world's leading "multi-cultural" societies, and that Muslims - like Australians of every other faith and background - contribute to the Australian culture.
"We are the most successful multi-cultural society in the world, Australian Muslims are part of that successful multicultural society," Turnbull told Macquarie Radio on Friday.
