Melbourne Imam Apologizes for Resurfaced Sermon on Wife Beating

A prominent Melbourne imam has issued a public apology after an unearthed sermon from over two decades ago resurfaced, in which he discussed husbands disciplining their wives, including physical chastisement.

Samir Mohtadi, leader and founder of the MyCentre mosque in Broadmeadows, made the controversial remarks in a 2003 sermon titled 'The Keys to a Successful Marriage.' In the sermon, uploaded to YouTube in 2013, Mohtadi advised male parishioners that physical discipline was a 'last resort' for disobedient wives, stipulating that they should not be bruised or made to bleed.

He also questioned Australian laws regarding marital rape, stating, "In this country, if the husband wants to sleep with his wife and she does not want to she hasn't got (inaudible) she just doesn't feel like it and he ends up sleeping with her by force it is known to be as a rape. Amazing, how can a person rape his wife?"

Mohtadi's sermon also included advice for wives to be attentive to their husbands' needs, suggesting that if a husband desires intimacy, a wife should attend to him even if engaged in household chores.

The resurfaced comments drew criticism, with then-prime minister Kevin Rudd in 2009 calling for Mohtadi to repudiate and apologize for his remarks, stating that sexual violence is never permissible and such statements do not belong in modern Australia.

In a statement released on Saturday, Mohtadi apologized for his past comments, asserting that he has consistently opposed all forms of violence, particularly family violence and violence against women, throughout his more than 30 years of community service.

"There is no place for violence against women in our homes and communities. Family violence is a crime and we all have responsibility to prevent it," the statement read. "I sincerely apologize for my past comments. My commitment to preventing family violence and supporting the safety and dignity of women and families remains unwavering."

The resurfacing of the sermon follows recent headlines concerning alleged links between MyCentre and Hamam al-Hammami, the Flydubai co-pilot accused of attempting to hijack an Israel-bound passenger jet on September 30. The United Arab Emirates' top prosecutor claimed al-Hammami became acquainted with individuals at MyCentre while studying in Melbourne in 2017.

Mohtadi has previously distanced himself and the mosque from al-Hammami, stating last week that he had never met al-Hammami and that the center has no record of him attending. The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils also issued a statement calling attempts to associate MyCentre with terrorism misleading and harmful.

MyCentre has previously received grants from the Victorian Labor Government.