Republican rhetoric and negative press over New Jersey Democrat Adam Hamawy’s past ties to jihadists failed to keep him from being elected to Congress in his heavily blue district.
Hamawy, a doctor and U.S. Army veteran, won 70% of votes on Tuesday despite months of controversy over his interactions with several radical figures leading up to a 1995 terrorism trial in which he testified. Conservatives also cast suspicion on his loyalties over his 1994 humanitarian work in Bosnia for Benevolence International Foundation, a charity later shut down by the Treasury Department for funding Osama bin Laden’s al Qaeda.
The Muslim candidate was not charged with wrongdoing in either situation and called the resulting criticism bigoted and unfair. His campaign did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment.
Michigan Democratic Sen.-elect Abdul el Sayed also beat his GOP opponent on Tuesday after mounting allegations of personal and family ties to the Hamas-linked Muslim Brotherhood, which he denies. The results showed how a decades-old Republican Party theme of sounding the alarm about Islamic extremism failed to gain ground with voters as Democrats seized the House and Senate.
Who did Hamawy cross paths with?
Hamawy and his team pointed to his military service, hospital work at Ground Zero on 9/11, and other achievements to dispel questions about his allegiance to America, while also highlighting his stated opposition to terrorism.
But critics, including the liberal-leaning magazine The Atlantic, argued that Hamawy never gave enough explanation for why he rubbed shoulders with America-bashing Islamic fundamentalists in his younger years — particularly with convicted terrorist mastermind Omar Abdel-Rahman.
The future congressman-elect testified as a defense witness for Abdel-Rahman in 1995, telling a New York federal court he met him at a New Jersey middle school, saw him preach at multiple mosques, visited his home, and carpooled with him and others to a Muslim conference in Detroit. Their relationship was close enough that Hamawy helped the blind cleric as a translator at a press conference.
Hamawy later told the Philadelphia Inquirer that he did not feel enough status as a “young man” in the Muslim community to confront Abdel-Rahman about his violent views, claiming, “it wasn’t the only thing he spoke about.”
Law enforcement ultimately linked Abdel-Rahman, nicknamed the “Blind Sheikh,” and his codefendants to a wide-ranging violent conspiracy that included the deadly 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Abdel-Rahman was convicted and sentenced to life in prison and died in custody in 2017.
The Blind Sheikh was far from the only jihadist in Hamawy’s personal orbit before the terrorism trial, according to a transcript of his testimony. Hamawy said he also heard Hamas recruiter Dr. Ahmad Nofal speak on multiple occasions, including alongside Abdel-Rahman. Hamawy told the prosecution he was unaware of the Jordanian Sharia law professor’s ties to Hamas.
Hamawy also testified that Dr. Hassan al Turabi, leader of the militant National Islamic Front, spoke by video at the conference. Al Turabi’s group fomented a 1989 coup that overthrew Sudan’s government, after which he helped make the country a harbor for bin Laden and al Qaeda for years. Hamawy told the court he was “not very sure” about al Turabi belonging to the National Islamic Front.
Additionally, the prosecution asked Hamawy if he was aware that an Egyptian he met in London, Abdel Maguid Hasan, “was involved with” the violent Egyptian jihadist group that counted the Blind Sheikh as its spiritual leader. “No, I wasn’t aware of that,” Hamawy replied.
Though Hamawy won over New Jersey voters, his testimony for Abdel-Rahman’s defense failed to sway jurors.
“Did defendant Abdel-Rahman talk during that speech about conquering the land of the infidels?” a prosecutor asked him about one encounter, according to a transcript.
“I don’t recall specifically, but he might have, yes,” Hamawy replied.
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The attorney then showed him a document purportedly containing the statement. “Does that refresh your recollection whether he talked about jihad for the sake of God and conquering the land of the infidels?” he asked.
“Yes, but you’re kind of taking it out of context,” Hamawy told him.