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Andrew Carswell and Geoff Chambers
The Daily Telegraph
September 25, 2014 12:00AM

Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed.

AUSTRALIA’S Muslim leaders are split over how they should respond to the growing threat of extremist violence following the country’s first Islamic terrorist attack on home soil.

Sydney-based Muslim leaders condemned the murderous fatwa issued against Australia by the terror group Islamic State.

But senior Victorian Muslim figures lashed out at the way police responded to the frenzied attack by knife-wielding 18-year-old terrorist Numan Haider.

The Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, joined with various Muslim community heads to denounce the extremists who have hijacked their faith, a faith they claim preaches the importance of protecting the sanctity of life. They urged Muslim youth who have become brainwashed by online and underground sheiks to moderate their wild views.

But Victoria’s leading Muslim figure, Ghaith Krayem, who is secretary of the Islamic Council of Victoria, expressed a degree of disappointment with police.

“The police have come out very clearly and almost have said it was the young man’s fault and, I don’t know, in the fall of time that may prove to be the case. But I think within a couple of hours I was disappointed,’’ he said.

Facebook was littered with Islamic State sympathisers praising Haider’s extremely violent and dangerous actions.

“May Allah SWT destroy these enemies of Islam,” Aslam Ul Islam posted.