The leading candidate for New Jersey’s 12th District seat in the U.S. House is under scrutiny from fellow Democrats due to his supposed connections to terrorism.
Adam Hamawi, a physician and former combat surgeon with the U.S. Army, allegedly acknowledged some interaction with the late Islamic figure Omar Abdelrahman, who played a role in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
“Every Muslim will be called a terrorist at some point, and these metaphors are outdated and overused. Unfortunately, they continue to be used today,” he expressed.
Hamawi did not respond to claims that he had volunteered for a Chicago group later identified as an al-Qaeda front.
Adrian Mapp, the Mayor of Plainfield and also a Democratic candidate, labeled Hamawi an “extremist” because of his association with Abdelrahman.
“The blind sheikh was not an obscure figure,” Mapp stated. “He was a terrorist convicted of serious crimes related to sedition.”
Hamawi acknowledged having carpooled with Abdelrahman in 1991 and testified in his favor out of a sense of “national responsibility,” yet he denounced the accusations against him as Islamophobic.
“I was called as a witness, testified under oath, and then left. It wasn’t an issue back then, but they’re trying to make it one now,” he explained.
He also pushed back against Mapp, labeling him “desperate” for making such claims.
Hamawi has garnered support from notable figures, including Senator Bernie Sanders and Democratic Representatives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ro Khanna, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib.
According to an interview from 1996, revealed by Jewish Insider, Hamawi mentioned working for the “Charitable International Foundation,” linked to a web of organizations tied to Osama bin Laden.
Born in Egypt, Hamawi dismissed the allegations, referencing his extensive military background.
“These are not serious discussions and they are getting old,” he added, reiterating the point about stereotypes against Muslims.
Mapp countered that his criticism wasn’t directed at Hamawi’s religious beliefs but rather at his past associations, claiming that other Democrats were too afraid to speak out against those ties.
Both Hamawi and Mapp are pursuing the nomination to succeed Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who is retiring. The eventual nominee will go up against Republican candidate Greg Mele in the coming November election.
Abdelrahman passed away in 2017 while incarcerated in North Carolina.
