In April 2024, Rahim Thawer, a "racialized,” anti-Zionist, "queer" Muslim from Canada, was accepted into the University of Alabama's Doctor of Social Work (DSW) program. Thawer shared a graphic showing his admission letter and offer letter for a three-year teaching contract, which indicated that out of 188 applicants, only 20 were admitted to the university's social work doctoral program.
Thawer was one of three faculty members the College Republican Federation of Alabama identified as posting inappropriate remarks following the death of Charlie Kirk. The group has requested that University of Alabama president Dr. Peter Mohler terminate their employment.
According to his website, Thawer’s "doctoral research explores how anti-racist, queer-affirming psychoanalytic frameworks can support social workers, therapists-in-training, and organizational leaders.”
His CV states, “I specialize in teaching that integrates clinical rigor with cultural humility.” For his UA School of Social Work courses, he lists undergraduate and graduate courses in “Forensic Social Work Practice, Anti-Oppression and Social Justice, Advanced Clinical Social Work Practice, Professional Writing in Social Work, Chemical Dependency, Social Work Practice with Children & Adolescents.”
Thawer is currently teaching courses on “Understanding Intersectionality and Identity, Dismantling Barriers to Inclusion within Organizations, Countering Biases and Microaggressions, Engaging Diversity & Inclusion in Organizations” at the University of British Columbia, “Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Certificate” program.
In October 2024, Thawer reposted a message celebrating the life of Yahya Sinwar, a Hamas terrorist on Israel's most wanted list for masterminding the October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel. According to a PBS News report following his death, Sinwar was known as the “Butcher of Khan Younis” for "his brutal approach to Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel."
The X post Thawer reposted said, "the footage [of Sinwar's death] immortalizes Sinwar and galvanizes all of us to have courage and resolve until the last moment. The footage showed the epic heroism and defiance of an unbroken man, even after they broke his body. It showed a leader fighting alongside his men on the front lines against zionist barbarism."
The post closed with a call to arms against Jewish people that said, "No words can capture the pride and renewed resolve that emerges from our heartbreak to resist them until their malignant ideology is gone from this earth."
In July 2023, before his UA acceptance, Thawer wrote a Medium Post that detailed some of his more progressive beliefs and the way they impact his practice of social work. One of the more jarring statements made in it relates to his anti-Semitism.
"Most of my therapy clients have scanned my social media profiles before contacting me. They know when to opt out. Someone who is staunchly Zionist likely won’t want to work with an anti-apartheid therapist like myself. Having spent hours examining such a case in my own clinical supervision, I know that my countertransference may render me a poor match for this type of client."
It is unclear if the University of Alabama has warned supporters of Israel that Thawer may be a “poor match” as an instructor.
A recent podcast, which has since been deleted from the host website, described him, “Rahim Thawer (he/him) is a racialized, queer social worker who works as an instructor, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, consultant, public speaker, podcast host, and writer. He calls Toronto home and currently teaches at The University of Alabama. His approaches to teaching, writing and clinical practice continually explore the intersection of mental health and systemic oppression. He has a particular interest in examining innovation in queer relationships and exploring how anti-racist, queer-affirming psychoanalytic frameworks can support social workers, training therapists, and organizational leaders."
In his most recent post on Medium, Thawer detailed an assignment he recently wrote for the students in his current social welfare class, in which he decries capitalism as exploitive.
Inspired by Karl Marx, he explained, “Following critical-theory analyses, we can infer that capitalism not only alienates us from our work but also commodifies our lost emotional worlds, offering us partial returns through consumption.”
He continued, “We are not merely treating individuals in distress; we are encountering subjects formed by — and often suffering under — dominant social, economic, and moral narratives.”
In his post, he said, "The following takeaways highlight how these connections matter for your learning in the History of Social Welfare course."
- Policies shape people’s lives on the inside too
Just as Freud and Lacan show how shame and desire shape our choices, U.S. welfare history shows how policies shaped who was seen as “deserving” and who was stigmatized. - Alienation isn’t just about work — it’s about dignity
Marx helps us see how people can be cut off from meaningful work and respect. Welfare systems sometimes reinforced that separation, even while trying to offer support. - Shame and stigma follow policy lines
Shame isn’t just personal. It’s tied to how society has judged poor people, immigrants, single mothers, people of color, and LGBTQ+ communities across different eras of welfare policy. - Resistance is both personal and collective
People resist internalized shame, and communities resist exclusionary policies. From grassroots mutual aid to civil rights movements, collective action has always challenged inequality. - Critical interpretation is a tool for change
This course asks you to analyze how governments and communities responded to need, who benefited, and who was excluded. By interpreting history through these lenses, you gain tools to practice social work with a sharper eye toward equity and liberation.
The University of Alabama administration has not publicly responded to the letter from the College Republican Federation, nor have they responded to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville's (R-Auburn) call to action to terminate one of the other professors named in the letter.
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