Tawhidi had earlier held Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi as his marja taqlid. Since 2015, Tawhidi has stated that he does not subscribe to any particular religious leader. There have been marked differences between his and Shirazi’s views on a host of issues.Tawhidi is president of the Islamic Association of South Australia, which he founded in 2016. He refers to himself as the “Imam of Peace”.