A VOCAL critic of Islam who has called for the closure of Muslim schools in Australia has found an unlikely supporter.

Australian Muslim leader Imam Shaikh Mohammad Tawhidi has backed Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s demand that Islamic schools should be closed for security reasons.

Imam Tawhidi is now reportedly in hiding after he told 7 News: “These schools do exist, they are a problem and they need to be either shut down or changed completely.”

The surprising comments came after Ms Ali sparked anger from Muslim groups when she compared them to white supremacists.

The US-based, Somali-born activist cancelled a trip to Australia at the last minute, citing safety concerns over the organisation of her trip.

While in Australia, Ms Ali had planned to highlight the need for Western countries to educate themselves about dawa, or how radical Islamists spread their ideology.

She told AAP while the West should continue its military battles against terrorists, it needed to focus on the spread of Islamic ideology through schools, mosques and non-government organisations that, on the surface, appear nonviolent but ultimately act as a “conveyor belt” for violence.

She said such organisations flourished in Western countries by exploiting laws safeguarding freedom of religion, expression and association.

“I don’t believe individuals are born wanting to join the jihad. It’s a process, a long process.”

Imam Tawhidi has spoken out about ISIS in the past and says he has been called a “fake Muslim” by the community when he speaks about Islamic radicalisation in Australia.

“They have called me a fake Muslim imam or a Shaikh only because I expose their intentions to create a caliphate within Australia,” he says in a four-minute video posted to Facebook. “I am considered a fake because I condemn terrorism. I am considered a fake because I oppose and expose extremism.”

Since backing Ms Ali’s call to close Islamic schools, he has reportedly been forced into hiding with a police escort, for fear of retribution by the Muslim community.

— with AAP.