Tony Abbott: Australian ex-prime minister writes controversial column entitled ‘Islam must change, not us’

‘We should be ready to claim the clear superiority of our culture to one that justifies killing people in the name of God,' says former leader

Tony Abbott wrote calling for reformation within Islam (EPA)

The former prime minister of Australia has called for a “religious revolution” within Islam and urged Australians to stop apologising for Western values and culture.

Writing across Australian media, Tony Abbott warned that demonising the religion could incur a “clash of civilisations” but that there can be no more denial about “the massive problem within Islam”.

In a column written for Australian newspaper The Daily Telegraph, Mr Abbott said Islam “has never had its own version of the Reformation and the Enlightenment or a consequent acceptance of pluralism and the separation of church and state”.

He said anyone “interested in a safer world” should encourage “’live and let live’ Muslims” to reclaim the Islamic faith from zealots. Mr Abbott also claimed 30 per cent of French and British Muslims sympathise “with the aims if not the methods of Islamic State”.

His words echo Republican frontrunner Donald Trump’s recent controversial claims certain areas in Paris and London are so radicalised that “police are afraid for their own lives”.

The ex-prime minister also urged Australians to stop being apologetic for their Western values that he said make the country “free, fair and prosperous”.

“It’s not culturally insensitive to demand loyalty to Australia and respect for Western civilisation. Cultures are not all equal,” he wrote.

“We should be ready to proclaim the clear superiority of our culture to one that justified killing people in the name of God.”

Prime minister Malcolm Turnbull told Sky News, in response to Mr Abbott’s column, his “glib one-liners” could be interpreted as playing right into the hands of terrorists.

Nail Aykan, executive director of Islamic Council Victoria, told BBC Mr Abbott's comments were "completely unhelpful" and advised the ex-prime minister to get to know "some real local Muslims and get their perspective before you start patronising a whole population".

Other Australian leaders have attacked Mr Abbott’s comments as “divisive” and “destructive”, with Greens leader Richard Di Natale telling Sky News he was an “embarrassment to the world stage”.

Labour leader Ed Husic accused Mr Abbott of attempting to "Trumpify" Australian politics, reports The Australian, while Opposition leader Bill Shorten called Mr Abbott's comments "counter-productive" and "inflammatory".

Mr Abbott was prime minister of Australia for two years before being ousted by a member of his own party, Mr Turnbull, in September 2015.