A Muslim imam who campaigns against extremism and Sharia law claims death threats against him escalated after the ABC's Media Watch program described him as 'divisive and offensive'.

Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi, a Shia imam from Adelaide, was lambasted by Media Watch host Paul Barry late last month.

'No, we're not saying Tawhidi has no right to his opinions but the media should not really be giving him a megaphone nor should they be presenting him as a voice of reason and an imam of peace when it's clear that some of his views are divisive, offensive, abusive and just plain crazy,' Mr Barry said.

Scroll down for video

Shia imam Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi says the ABC's Media Watch sparked death threats

ABC Media Watch host Paul Barry described Sheikh Tawhidi as 'divisive, offensive, abusive and just plain crazy'

Sheik Tawhidi says this vile Facebook message was posted on June 1, by the same man who abused him in an Adelaide restaurant, 10 days after Media Watch aired

Ten days later, Sheikh Tawhidi was confronted in an Adelaide restaurant as he dined with anti-immigration political aspirant Kim Vuga.

The Iranian-born religious leader told Daily Mail Australia one of the young men who confronted him had mentioned the Media Watch program.

'The guy in the restaurant said, 'Have you seen the ABC expose on this motherf***er',' he said.

On the same day, another man unconnected to the restaurant ambush wrote on Facebook about the sheikh: 'This dog needs a bullet in his head ASAP.'

Sheikh Tawhidi says he was abused at an Adelaide restaurant after the Media Watch segment

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the ABC for comment.

Footage of part of the Adelaide restaurant confrontation aired on the Seven Network's Today Tonight program in early June.

It showed a man swearing at Sheikh Tawhidi and Ms Vuga, who has previously appeared on the SBS program Go Back To Where You Came From.

The 34-year-old religious leader said although it was not shown in the Seven program, this is when a young man abused him, referring to a Media Watch 'expose' on him.

Sheikh Tawhidi often receives threats, however he says Mr Barry's description of him had given radical Muslims ammunition for 'lots of hate'.

Sheikh Tawhidi was dining for Kim Vuga when several men abused them in Adelaide

Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi says he received this threatening Facebook message in April

Another extremist sent Sheikh Mohammad Tawhidi a message from another country

Sheikh Tawhidi said death threats against him had also increased after the Australian National Imams Council asserted in March they did not recognise him.

In early April, he received several vile threats from Islamist extremists.

'I'm gonna down your throat you son of a pig,' a Facebook message from a man said.

Another message from a different extremist went further.

'You dirty scum of a boy, not worth calling a man. You're a disgrace to your parents,' he said.

Another extremist threatened to bash Sheikh Tawhidi after his Facebook followers mentioned how the Prophet Mohammad had a nine-year-old wife

Another man sent Sheikh Tawhidi a vile message threatening that he would 'remain silent'

'Your mum should have swallowed. I feel sorry for your parents for having a pig of a son like you.

'Keep doing what you're doing because one day, you will remain silent.'

Another extremist threatened to bash him for not refuting a suggestion that the Prophet Mohammad had a nine-year-old wife Aisha.

'You coward dog. If I ever see you, I'm going to cave your dog head in,' he said.

Sheikh Tawhidi received yet another vile death threat on Sunday night from an extremist

The Shia imam received another death threat on Sunday night.

'This bloke needs to be shot and hung,' he said.

'Calls himself a Muslim. Get out of here, you don't know the first thing about being Muslim.'

Sheikh Tawhidi has previously spoken out against halal-certified food being sold in Australia's major supermarkets, called for the closure of Islamic schools and backed the idea of temporary bans on Muslim migration.

For taking these positions and endorsing One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, he has been subjected to criticism from the ABC, including in opinion pieces published on the national broadcaster's Religion and Ethics website.

He also strongly condemns Sharia law, an Islamic legal system which secular Muslims reject.

Sheikh Tawhidi is planning to make an official complaint with the Australian Federal Police about his death threats, adding he had received them since 2014 when he became more outspoken about Islamist extremism.