Barnett says burqa debate is a 'sideshow'

West Australian Premier Colin Barnett says the burqa debate is just a side issue in a much larger terror threat facing our "very troubled world".

While Prime Minister Tony Abbott has said he feels confronted by the burqa, Mr Barnett says he does not feel threatened or offended by them.

"We should respect their religion, their culture and their right to dress as they choose," he told ABC radio on Thursday.

"However, to women who use the burqa, they've also, I think, got to acknowledge that if they do so then they can't necessarily enter into secure areas or they have to be prepared to, in privacy, have some photo identification."

Mr Barnett said Australians were living in a "very troubled world" with a serious terror risk.

"It's probably more dangerous than I can think in my lifetime, so there is fear, there is apprehension, but to have a debate about the burqa is a sideshow, that's not the main issue," he said.

The premier this week met with WA Muslims leaders after recent graffiti attacks disparaging Islamic culture.

"They are Aussies and I was just very conscious that there had been reports of people being harassed particularly women in shopping centres, girls going to school and the like and I don't want to see any part of our community become isolated," he said.

"There is no doubt in meeting with the Muslim leaders, there was a sense of fear in their community - that's not the Australian way."

Mr Barnett said the WA Muslim community supported authorities targeting terrorists and criminals, and had felt unreasonably persecuted by some people in the community.