A star Liberal candidate has been dragged into a widening controversy about Islam after tweets emerged of him repeatedly declaring: 'Call me Islamophobic now'. Indigenous leader Warren Mundine, the party's candidate for the critical marginal New South Wales seat of Gilmore, tweeted: 'Call me Islamophobic now. 'Wake up people! Islam has a massive problem ... Call me Islamophobic, but Islam does have a massive problem!' The repeated tweets were published in July 2016 alongside a picture of a Daily Telegraph front page listing Islamic State terrorist attacks around the world. The tweets - which were still on the 62-year-old's account three years after he made them - were seen by Daily Mail Australia on Friday after two Liberal candidates were dumped over horrific online comments about Muslims. Warren Mundine (with Prime Minister Scott Morrison) is a star candidate for one of the most marginal seats in the country - Gilmore, on the New South Wales south coast When Daily Mail Australia asked Mr Mundine to explain the tweets he said he was 'obviously' being sarcastic. 'That was sarcasm,' he said in a phone interview, adding later that 'Aussies are very sarcastic'. Mr Mundine, who has a long track record of being critical of Islamist extremism, said: 'I'm a straight talker and always will be.' 'If people are committing horrific acts in the name of a religion or any other ideology then that needs to be called out. 'I never 'identified as an Islamophobe' - that's a silly take on what was obviously me being sarcastic.' But Ali Kadri, from the Islamic Council of Queensland, said: 'When I read them they don't seem to me as sarcastic they seem to me as Islamophobic. 'If he says they're meant to be sarcastic it didn't come across in his tweets that he's being sarcastic. 'It did come across he's fuelling the divide and the hatred which is not only just dangerous for the Muslim community ... but also divides our country.' It did come across he's fueling the divide and the hatred ... (which) divides our country Queensland Islamic Council's Ali Kadri Keysar Trad, the spokesman for the Islamic Friendship Association, said the tweets were 'divisive'. 'It's the sort of nonsense you'd expect from Pauline Hanson.' In other tweets seen by Daily Mail Australia, Mr Mundine described the burqa as a 'misogynist tool' and agreed '100%' with a tweet that equated the fictional world of TV series The Handmaid's Tale with sharia law. In a history debate on Twitter, he described past 'Muslims/Arabs' as 'invaders and colonisers.' He said the comment related to an article he wrote about Israel, which he stands by. 'Those tweets are part of a conversation about history from thousands of years ago,' he said. The tweets come as Tasmanian candidate Jessica Whelan resigned on Friday after she was accused of posting several Islamophobic messages. Tasmanian candidate Jessica Whelan (centre) stepped down on Friday after a series of offensive posts were unearthed Questions about Ms Whelan arose on the same day she hit the campaign trail with Mr Morrison One described someone as a 'filthy Muslim' and another said: 'You shouldn't even be in Australia if you believe in Allah'. She stepped down this morning however, she maintained she had not posted a vulgar message about female genital mutilation, as she had been accused of. She has denied posting this message, which she was accused of doing in the Tasmanian Parliament Prime Minister Morrison said: 'Her views were her views and they do not represent the views of the party I lead.' Victorian candidate Jeremy Hearn also got the boot after posts emerged where he said all Muslims follow an ideology of 'killing or enslavement of the citizens of Australia if they do not become Muslim'. Senior Liberals said there was 'no place' for his views. He apologised, and has quit the race. Mr Mundine has deep political connections. He is a former national president of the Australian Labor Party and once ran for Labor pre-selection for the Senate. He has worked with five prime ministers and was the chairman of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's Indigenous Advisory Council. Mr Mundine was also the deputy mayor of Dubbo City Council and was reportedly the first Indigenous member of the council. He is a distant relative of boxer Anthony Mundine. 'OBVIOUSLY SARCASTIC': WARREN MUNDINE'S STATEMENT Liberal candidate Mr Mundine said: 'I'm a straight talker and always will be' 'I'm a straight talker and always will be. If people are committing horrific acts in the name of a religion or any other ideology then that needs to be called out. 'I never 'identified as an Islamophobe' - that's a silly take on what was obviously me being sarcastic. 'I wrote an article on Israel years ago and I stand by it. 'The region has been colonised and invaded by many groups including the Arabs, the Romans, the Turks and the European Crusaders. 'Those tweets are part of a conversation about history from thousands of years ago.' All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility