CANBERRA, Australia, Jan. 29 (UPI) -- Australian federal government and state officials are pointing fingers and hurling challenges over an Islamic group's call for a pan-global Islamic state.
Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), following a conference Sunday in Sydney, called on all Australian Muslims to make sacrifices and support a global Islamic state under a single leader to topple governments and resist invaders.
"Sacrifice must be encouraged," since Western governments would oppose such an institution, an Indonesian cleric had said during the meeting. "We will call on all of Islam to be ready for a jihad."
The Australian newspaper reported Monday that Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said Sunday authorities were monitoring the activities of the Hizb ut-Tahrir (Party of Liberation), but there was no evidence it has urged violence and thus violated anti-terror laws.
He challenged New South Wales Premier Morris Lemma to produce evidence to the contrary.
Lemma, however, said the call issued by the group was evidence enough.
"This is an organization that is basically saying it wants to declare war on Australia, our values and our people," he said. "And that's why I believe they are just beyond the pale.
"Enough is enough, and it's time for the commonwealth to review this organization's status and take the lead from other countries and ban them."
Lemma's assessment was echoed by NSW Police Minister John Watkins, The Australian said.
"I would ask Philip Ruddock to look closely at what this group has said publicly today in the media. I don't know why there is not enough evidence for him to take immediate action."
Australia has enacted stringent anti-terrorism laws following the 2001 attacks on the United States, and attacks on Australian interests and tourists in Indonesia and Islamist attacks in Britain.
Of particular concern to Australian authorities is hate speech or speech urging violence by Muslim clerics in the country that could radicalize Muslim youth.
