Muslim families are being urged to become the frontline of defence against radicalised youth after the fatal shooting of a NSW police worker.
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made the pitch on Sunday and was backed by prominent Muslim community leader Jamal Rifi, who appealed to parents to reach out and seek help for children at risk of being radicalised.
The plea followed Friday's shooting death of veteran police force finance staffer Curtis Cheng, 58, by a 15-year-old boy.
Farhad Jabar Khalil Mohammad, in a loose-fitting black robe, fired more shots before he was killed by special constables outside the force's Parramatta headquarters.
Ms Bishop says the government will include families and the Muslim community in its efforts to combat extremism.
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Family heartbroken by Cheng's death
slamic leaders were part of a teleconference with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, NSW Premier Mike Baird, federal and NSW police and other agencies on Saturday.
"It's the families that will be our frontline of defence against radicalised young people, so we will be working very closely with them," Ms Bishop said.
"No one level of government or no one section of community can do it all alone."
Dr Rifi, a Sydney-based GP who took part in the phone hook-up, welcomed the inclusive talks, saying the Muslim community no longer felt they were fighting radicalisation with their hands tied behind their backs.
"With this telephone conversation ... we felt that the shackles came off," he told AAP on Sunday.
"The mood right now has shifted. It's not about blame. It's about solution."
The Australian Muslim Women's Centre for Human Rights has also welcomed the phone hook-up.
But Centre chairwoman Tasneem Chopra said the government also has to engage at a grass roots level.
"So that means bolstering and resourcing the grass roots sector from counselling, welfare, women's services because it's at this end where families are at, where children are at," she told SBS Radio News.
"Where if they're unsupported and inadequately resourced that can lead to an exacerbation of truancy, kids falling out, mixing with the wrong crowd, substance abuse - when those things happen and spiral out of control, the cost to the state is a lot higher and the social cost is much higher as well."
Meanwhile, Labor frontbencher Andrew Leigh says he hopes there isn't a backlash against the Muslim community over the recent shooting.
He said while the government has acknowledged the importance in working with the Muslim community, they have to be very careful about demonising many thousands of Muslim Australians for the deeds of a few.
Dr Rifi said parents were well-positioned to pick up early signs of radicalisation or change in behaviour.
But they needed to know that by seeking help early, they were not going to get their kids or themselves in trouble with the law, he said, making a special appeal to fathers.
"I have been awarded the title, the 2015 Australian Father of the Year, and through that title I am appealing to the fathers in the Muslim community to do the right thing by their family and by their country."
He also called on Muslim leaders and the community to speak out against radicalisation and to emphasise the dangers of "hateful ideology" promoted to the vulnerable.
"They might have some social issues (or) mental issues, family issues, financial issues," he said.
"There are predators out there and teachers of hate that may take advantage of that person's circumstances."
Dr Rifi said he didn't know the young shooter or his family and neither did those he'd asked in the Kurdish community.
He thought the boy had only attended Parramatta Mosque shortly before the shooting because it was close to his target.
He confirmed authorities had visited the mosque's leaders, who had been co-operating "100 per cent".
Police were continuing to investigate what motivated the 15-year-old to carry out Friday's attack, which Commissioner Andrew Scipione said was "politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism".
They had no information to tie the boy to a specific group, he said on Saturday.
What they said after Friday's fatal shooting of a NSW police worker:
"It's the families that will be our frontline of defence against radicalised young people ... No one level of government or no one section of community can do it all alone." - Foreign Minister Julie Bishop
"The mood right now has shifted. It's not about blame. It's about solution." - Dr Jamal Rifi, Sydney-based GP and prominent Muslim community leader, after a phone hook-up with the PM, NSW premier and police
"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken that he has been taken from us, but we are truly grateful for the fruitful and happy life he has shared with us" - family of shooting victim Curtis Cheng, 17-year veteran of NSW police force's finance department
"The Muslim community are our absolutely necessary partners in combating this type of violent extremism." - Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, the morning after the "cold-blooded murder"
"This is not a time to point fingers, for anger to reign ... what we have to do is come together and solve it." - NSW Premier Mike Baird
"We believe that his actions were politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism." - NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione of the 15-year-old
"At times like this, it's critical that we guard against dangerous division - we are stronger and safer when we stand together." - Opposition Leader Bill Shorten
