Adam Hamawy, a Democratic congressman‑elect from New Jersey, is set to take his seat in the U.S. House after winning a decisive victory in the 12th Congressional District. Hamawy earned roughly 70% of the vote, defeating his Republican opponent by a wide margin.
Background on the controversy
During the campaign, questions arose about Hamawy’s past volunteer service with the Benevolence International Foundation (BIF), a Chicago‑based charity that federal authorities later identified as providing financial and logistical support to al Qaeda. A 1996 interview in the Newark Star‑Ledger revealed that Hamawy spent five weeks in Bosnia in 1994 delivering medical supplies to hospitals in Sarajevo and Zenica.
In 2002, Bosnian authorities raided BIF offices and recovered documents that investigators linked to Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, including correspondence and information about terrorist training camps. The 9/11 Commission later described the charity’s Sarajevo office as part of a network that covertly supported terrorist activities.
Legal outcomes for the charity
The organization’s chief executive, Enaam Arnaout, pleaded guilty in 2003 to a racketeering charge involving funds raised for purported humanitarian purposes and diverted to the Bosnian military. Federal prosecutors ultimately dropped terrorism charges against him. The BIF remains on the U.S. Treasury Department’s terrorism‑related sanctions list.
Connection to the “Blind Sheikh”
Hamawy’s past relationship with Sheikh Omar Abdel‑Rahman, known as the “Blind Sheikh,” also drew scrutiny. Abdel‑Rahman was convicted in 1995 of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks in New York City. Court records show Hamawy accompanied the cleric on a 1991 trip to Detroit, served as his translator at a press conference, and testified on Abdel‑Rahman’s behalf during his federal criminal trial.
Former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy, who helped secure Abdel‑Rahman’s conviction, told Fox News Digital that Hamawy’s testimony ultimately strengthened the government’s case against the terrorist leader.
Campaign response
Hamawy’s campaign has pushed back against the scrutiny, accusing Republican‑aligned organizations and media outlets of attempting to undermine his candidacy. A campaign statement said, “It’s unsurprising that the RNC and Republican billionaire‑backed outlets are trying to cast Dr. Adam Hamawy in a negative light: he’s President Trump’s worst nightmare.”
While the reporting has not established that Hamawy personally participated in terrorist activities or knowingly supported al Qaeda through his humanitarian work, the controversy remains a focal point of the post‑election discussion.
Hamawy has not responded to a request for comment.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
