Democrat Adam Hamawy is headed to Congress despite scrutiny of his past associations with a convicted terrorist cleric and a charity later sanctioned for supporting al-Qaeda. Hamawy volunteered with Benevolence International Foundation during a medical relief trip to Bosnia. He also appeared as a defense witness for Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, whose 1995 trial ended in a conviction for plotting terrorist attacks in New York City.
Hamawy’s relationship with Abdel-Rahman, commonly called the “Blind Sheikh,” began in 1991. During his testimony, Hamawy described meeting him at a community speaking event at Matawan Middle School in New Jersey. He subsequently attended other appearances by the cleric and visited his residence. That Thanksgiving, Hamawy joined Abdel-Rahman and several others on a trip to Detroit.
The Bosnia trip followed in the summer of 1994, when Hamawy spent five weeks volunteering with the Chicago-based foundation. His work involved visiting hospitals and helping deliver medical supplies in Sarajevo, Zenica and surrounding areas. Federal action against the organization came years afterward, with the Treasury Department announcing its designation as a terrorism financier in November 2002.
As Fox News reported, Hamawy won roughly 70% in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District. His candidacy received endorsements from prominent figures on the Democratic left. Jewish Insider reported that his supporters included Senator Bernie Sanders and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ro Khanna. The outlet uncovered his account of the Bosnia mission in a 1996 newspaper interview.
In that interview, Hamawy described dividing his time between two Bosnian cities. “I worked in Sarajevo for 10 days and then the rest in Zenica, a large regional center in central Bosnia,” he said. His later career included eight years as an Army officer and work in military hospitals, including one in Baghdad. He also served as Abdel-Rahman’s translator at a press conference where the cleric denied involvement in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
The trial transcript records Hamawy appearing as a 26-year-old medical student called by Abdel-Rahman’s defense. Asked about his subsequent contact with the cleric, he testified, “I have seen him in his home.” He described the Detroit journey as a 13-hour minivan ride and said his own decision to join the trip came the night before departure.
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Defense questioning also addressed a disputed allegation involving Egypt’s then-president, Hosni Mubarak. Asked whether he heard Abdel-Rahman tell fellow traveler Emad Salem to turn his gun on Mubarak, Hamawy answered, “No, I recall nothing like that.” Hamawy said he sat behind the cleric during the outbound journey. He also testified that he stayed in the same room as Abdel-Rahman in Detroit.
The Treasury Department’s designation announcement detailed its evidence against Benevolence International and its leadership. Authorities searching the organization’s Bosnian offices in March 2002 recovered correspondence connecting chief executive Enaam Arnaout with Osama bin Laden. Treasury said one handwritten letter authorized Arnaout to sign on bin Laden’s behalf. The department also described logistical assistance the foundation provided to bin Laden lieutenant Mamdouh Mahmud Salim in 1998.
Arnaout subsequently pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, admitting that charitable donations had been diverted to overseas fighters, according to a Justice Department announcement. The admitted support included boots for fighters in Chechnya and boots, tents, uniforms and an ambulance for soldiers in Bosnia. Prosecutors said donors had been told their contributions would support civilian humanitarian work. U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald said, “Arnaout and BIF were victimizing well-intentioned donors.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.