- Imam Shaikh Tawhidi fears radicals want to set up a Muslim state within Australia
- He is concerned that hardline extremists want to impose Sharia law in Australia
- Imam was criticised by an Islamic TV network who accused him of being a fraud
- But he hit back & accused the channel of attacking him for ‘attacking terrorism’
An imam who warned that extremists are trying to set up an Islamic state within Australia has slammed a Muslim TV network that claimed he was a fake.
Imam Shaikh Mohammad Tawhidi claimed last month that hardline Muslims were trying to establish a Sharia law state within Australia’s borders.
But in an extraordinary attack, Muslim television channel OnePath Network then accused him of not being a real sheikh.
Imam Tawhidi – who showed Daily Mail Australia documents and pictures proving that he is a legitimate imam – was shocked by the criticism and said the channel should be thanking him for ‘exposing extremists’.
‘I stated that there was an extremist, radical agenda to create a country within Australia. A government within the Australian government,’ he said.
‘I am known as the imam of peace. I am a man of peace and I wanted to warn the government and the nation of what could potentially hurt all of us.
‘I am afraid of such an agenda. I am worried and fearful.’
Imam Tawhidi told Daily Mail Australia that he was concerned to find himself ‘being attacked for attacking the terrorists’.
‘I’m being attacked because people didn’t want me to warn the people.
‘They should have said “thank you” for exposing an extremist cell within Sydney. Instead they are discrediting me for criticising terrorism.
‘If you love this country and you are loyal to this country, you should be supporting me.’
He added that he believed he was being accused of being a fake because he is a Shia Muslim, not a Sunni.
Imam Tawhidi reiterated his fears for Australia, saying that hundreds if not thousands of Muslims in Australia could be at risk of being ‘brainwashed’ by extremist imams.
‘The problem is the mosques,’ he said.
‘There are extreme mosques with extreme imams. These imams have no credibility whatsoever and they are brainwashing the innocent Muslims into radical thoughts.’
Imam Tawhidi was speaking after he was slammed by the OnePath Network for his appearance on Today Tonight last month.
The Muslim TV network’s host Malaz Majanni said Imam Tawhidi’s claims about radical Islam were ‘baseless and outrageous’.
Mr Majanni also read out statements from Australian National Imams Council and the Imams Council of South Australia, both claiming Imam Tawhidi was not a recognised Muslim leader.
However the channel’s criticism appeared to be only levelled at Shia Muslim leaders who had spoken out and not a Sunni Muslim who also spoke on the Today Tonight programme.
Mr Majanni said of the report: ‘A message to anyone who felt worried, scared or even angry. Get to know you local Muslim community.
‘Visit your local mosque, have a conversation, ask some questions.
‘You’ll find out for yourself what many already know: There’s nothing to fear from your Muslim neighbours.’
