Ex-Australia PM Tony Abbott says Islam must reform

Sydney : Former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has sparked criticism by saying Islam has a “massive problem” and needs to reform. Writing in Australian media, Mr Abbott said “not all cultures are equal” and the West should stop apologising for defending its values. Opposition leader Bill Shorten said the comments were “counterproductive”.Current Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the vast majority of Muslims were “appalled” by extremism.Speaking to reporters in Perth, Mr Turnbull said it was “absolutely vital to ensure that we don’t make the mistake, which is what the terrorists want us to do, of tagging every single Muslim with the responsibility for the crimes of the few”. While it was “no revelation” that there were violent elements in the Muslim world, the religion is compatible with democracy and an open society, he said, and most victims of extremist groups are Muslims.Mr Turnbull would not comment on his predecessor’s remarks directly, but advised that his own statements on extremism were always “carefully calculated” to “make Australia safer and to make the work of our security services less difficult than it already is”.