The Australian National Imams Council has taken the unusual step of reprimanding the head of the NSW Counter Terrorism Squad, Assistant Commissioner Peter Dein, and requesting a meeting with his superiors because of ''offensive and provocative'' comments he made about the Syrian conflict reaching Australian shores.

Mr Dein told The Australian the Muslim community was being ''very passive about the problem'' and senior leaders were not doing enough to discourage young Australian men from joining the jihad.

Imam Mohamadu Saleem said more than 150 imams rejected the offensive comments ''in the strongest possible terms'' and perceived them as ''an irresponsible act of disrespect to the hard and ongoing work [of] senior members of the Muslim community … to prevent anyone who might have been affected by the Syrian conflict from becoming directly involved''.

Several leaders have highlighted programs targeting young Muslims and weekly sermons by sheikhs and imams persuading them against travelling to the battlefront.

It is believed about 200 Australians are fighting with terrorist groups in Syria and there are fears they will return with extremist views and militant skills.

On Monday, the police backed away from Mr Dein's views and acknowledged the ''concerted efforts'' of Muslim organisations.

''We note that this effort has been under way for some time,'' a spokesman said.

However, the incident has revealed deeper rifts in the campaign to stop young Australians fighting in Syria.

Wissam Haddad, who says he knows many Australians who have travelled to the front line, says young men aren't listening to the messages being disseminated by the authorities and ''passive'' organisations.

He says the hardline stance of the government and police, which have repeatedly stressed it is illegal to fight in Syria, is only reaching the ''old lines'' of the community.

Those fighting in Syria are often given hero status and referred to on social media as martyrs.

''The new lines are the ones that want to go out there and physically participate,'' Mr Haddad said.

''You can discourage them all you like.

''Each Muslim knows his obligation and the only way you can discourage the youth is to take away their religion.

''It's something they will give their lives for.''

Islamic Friendship Association founder Keysar Trad said he was constantly delivering sermons encouraging Muslims to donate or make political representations rather than take up arms.

''It's unhelpful of the police to keep pointing the finger of blame at the community when it lies completely elsewhere,'' he said.

''These comments unfortunately end up serving the 'them and us brigade' and we've been fighting a very long time to make people understand there is no them and us.''