Stop lecturing us: Islamic Council of Vic

Prime Minister Tony Abbott needs to unify the community rather than use Muslims as scapegoats, the Islamic Council of Victoria says.

The ICV says Mr Abbott needs to stop lecturing Muslim leaders and refrain from using decisive language, in a strongly worded statement reacting to the prime minister's call for Islamic leaders to do more to combat racial and religious hate speech.

Using an example of the Sydney siege, the ICV said that the death of two hostages was a result of poor decision making and the inaction of authorities, not a failure by Islamic groups to combat radical behaviour.

"It's very convenient for Mr Abbott to pass the buck on this," ICV spokesman Kuranda Seyit said in a statement on Tuesday.

"He is very keen to make this a broader issue about Muslims, but it is quite obvious, like many of his political problems, he is very good at shifting the focus from himself to others."

Mr Abbott made his first national security statement in Canberra on Monday.

In it, Mr Abbott warned the threat from terrorism at home and abroad was now much greater and becoming harder to combat.

He also said the nation must confront a growing threat from home-grown extremism, and flagged a crackdown on dual citizens involved in terrorism and "hate preachers" such as Hizb ut-Tahrir.