Tony Abbott believes there's too much "tip toeing" around Islam and says elements of the religion are hard to reconcile with modern society.
The former prime minister was asked on Wednesday why he had never hosted a fast-breaking dinner for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as his successor Malcolm Turnbull did last week when he inadvertently invited a controversial Muslim cleric.
"If I may say so, I think all of us have at times tip-toed too softly through this particular field," Mr Abbott told Sky News.
"I think we do have to be a little more forthright."
Mr Abbott said some elements of Islam were hard to reconcile with a modern, secular, pluralist society and called for a more "interpretative tradition" in Islam.
More attention needed to be paid to live-and-let-live Muslims, he said. [news.com.au] Read more
