A senior multicultural commissioner in Victoria is facing calls to resign after promoting inflammatory content online, including posts supporting Hamas and praising Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei.
Mohamed Mohideen, a former president of the Islamic Council of Victoria and current Multicultural Commissioner, has been accused of sharing “divisive and anti-Semitic” views on social media, despite being publicly funded to promote community harmony.
In recent weeks, Mohideen has reshared posts accusing Israel of bombing hospitals and torturing prisoners, and praised UK singer Bob Vylan who chanted “Death to the IDF” at Glastonbury. In other posts, he called Khamenei a “hero” and amplified conspiracy theories accusing Jews of creating “terrorism cells” across Europe.
While Mohideen insists he made the posts in his capacity with the Islamic Council and not as Commissioner, political pressure is mounting on the Allan government to take action.
Zionist Federation of Australia CEO Alon Cassuto called the posts “vile and hateful,” arguing that Mohideen’s rhetoric is incompatible with his official responsibilities and undermines efforts to fight anti-Semitism in Victoria.
In a separate controversy, Dandenong councillor and former Greens candidate Rhonda Garad has also faced backlash for retweeting anti-Israel content and defending chants of “Death to the IDF.” She claims her aim is to highlight the plight of Palestinians, not to attack Jewish people.
The Allan government has so far declined to remove Mohideen, pointing instead to the ongoing Lekakis Review of the Victorian Multicultural Commission. A spokesperson stated the review will ensure public institutions “reject division and stop hate.”
However, critics argue the delay in response sends a dangerous message and undermines public confidence in government-led multicultural policy.
