Mohammad Tawhidi

[1][2] Tawhidi is a Shia Muslim, and was born in Qom, Iran, to Iraqi parents, who emigrated to Australia with their family to escape persecution.

[14] He deems all acts of terrorism to be condemned in the Quran,[15] and denounced extremist groups and ideologies such as the Islamic State and the Iranian Regime as a political movement, not representative of the religion.

[19][20] Tawhidi also opposes Muslims justifying domestic violence, polygamy and the killing of apostates on Islamic, jurisprudential, or legal grounds.

[2] Chloe Patton, in a piece for the ABC, referred to Tawhidi as a "Shia extremist" and accused him of waging a "sectarian war against Australia's majority Sunni community.

[29] Tawhidi opposes Islamist ideologies, curricula, and institutions that distort the fundamental tenets and texts of Islam to promote extremism.

He believes that institutions that govern Halal certification and educate Muslim youth must be led by individuals who respect and promote the peaceful nature of Islam.

He advanced the position that Pakistani leader, Imran Khan, should respect the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan since the territory used to belong to India and is therefore diverse.

[35][36] Tawhidi's views have sparked both support and criticism, with some praising his efforts to promote dialogue and reform, while others accuse him of misrepresenting Islam.

[2] In March 2016, Tawhidi released a statement concerning a man who was released on bail after allegedly grabbing a woman's headscarf on a bus in Adelaide.He warned that intolerance could cause tension and harm the dignity of Australian women, adding that while a man might legally qualify for bail, it might not be the right decision ethically.

[40] Tawhidi said that the consistent misinterpretation oh his statements and positions by local media outlets inspired him to found the "Imams for Peace" organization.

[24][28] Tawhidi called for a government body to be established in order to investigate Hizb ut-Tahrir involvement with these land development projects and activities.

[12] He argued that the aggrieved Islamic groups had incorrectly interpreted the verse of the Quran that Ahok had allegedly referenced in a blasphemous manner.

[44] Tawhidi said he has received death threats from Indonesia's Islamic Defenders Front,[12] which had criticized his October 2015 visit to the country after he was considered to have insulted the Sunni-majority nation by calling it "Indoneshia".

"[46] In May 2017, Tawhidi appeared as a guest on Australian breakfast television program Sunrise to discuss the recent Manchester Arena bombing.

Tawhidi’s frequent appearances in Western media, where he often harshly criticizes some mainstream Islamic practices, have led some to label him as a tool for perpetuating Islamophobia.

[2] Tawhidi's statements and media presence have led to intense online attacks on his character and legitimacy, with groups and forums labeling him an extremist, infidel, or apostate.

[24][21] Tawhidi had defended One Nation leader Pauline Hanson[25][53] and supported her stances on a temporary travel ban on individuals from the Middle East during periods of intense ISIS recruitment and escalating Islamist attacks in the UK.

[54][25][53] On November 4, 2022, the Supreme Court of Victoria ordered Tawhidi to pay $20,000 in aggravated damages for making defamatory claims on Twitter that a man named Moustafa Awad was an "ISIS Promoter."