A Muslim federal Labor candidate in Victoria dumped because of his strident social media posts on politics, religion and war says racist elements within the ALP are behind his downfall.
Imran Syed has been disendorsed as the ALP candidate for the northern Victorian seat of Murray after labelling world leaders clowns, blaming soldiers for heroin addictions and attacking the West for its involvement in Syria.
Dr Syed was dumped on Thursday night after numerous warnings about his social media activity, but remains an ALP member for now.
Posts on Dr Syed's personal Facebook page question the West's intervention in Syria.
Other posts describe former prime minister Tony Abbott as ignorant, and call British PM David Cameron and former PM Tony Blair clowns.
In one post Dr Syed calls Mr Blair a "Mentally Retarded Clown high on Pure Afghan Poppy which they are stealing and exporting to the world".
Labor state secretary Kosmos Samaras said Dr Syed's behaviour had "progressively worsened" over the past few months.
"He was cautioned over political views on social media numerous times," Mr Samaras told AAP on Friday.
"We had no choice but to act."
Dr Syed said he only learned he was dumped when phoned by a journalist on Friday.
"The Labor Party is such a great institution and I joined because of (its) equality for all, freedom of speech and democracy and social justice values, but there are certain elements within the Labor Party who are racist and who don't want this to happen," he told AAP.
"If you speak the truth, you have to bear the consequences."
In response, Mr Samaras told AAP: "You only have to look at the state legislative council to know that this party is not racist.
"We've always embraced Islamic faith."
Dr Syed, an Indian-born medical doctor, is a respected Muslim community leader, an Islamic chaplain for Victoria Police and AFL regional ambassador who moved from Melbourne to Shepparton in 2008.
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