Lebanese Australians have demanded Immigration Minister Peter Dutton release the ethnic backgrounds of other criminal offenders or explain why he chose to "demonise" and "further alienate" their community in his comments to Parliament.

Mr Dutton said that the Fraser government had made mistakes in letting some migrants into Australia from the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s, referring to advice that 22 of 33 terrorism offenders were second and third-generation Lebanese-Muslim Australians.

Ethnic communities are mobilising against Mr Dutton with 30 Lebanese organisations, including the Lebanese Muslim Association and Lebanese Community Council, meeting in Auburn on Friday night to discuss his comments.

Several community leaders said the comments reverse years of hard work in building cohesion and belittle the entire community.