OUTRAGE: Ilhan Omar Endorses Al-Qaida Linked Candidate….

A New Jersey congressional candidate endorsed by Rep. Ilhan Omar once volunteered for a nonprofit that federal authorities later shut down as an Al-Qaida front — and that is only the second most troubling item in his past.

Story Snapshot

Dr. Adam Hamawy, a frontrunner in New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District Democratic primary, volunteered in 1994 with Benevolence International Foundation in Bosnia, an organization later shuttered by authorities as an Al-Qaida front.
Hamawy also served as a defense witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman, the convicted terrorist known as the “Blind Sheikh,” responsible for plotting the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, a polarizing progressive figure, has formally endorsed Hamawy for the congressional seat.
Hamawy’s campaign dismisses the criticism as guilt-by-association, pointing to his record as a September 11 first responder and combat surgeon in Iraq.

Two Flags, One Candidate

Most political candidates carry baggage. Adam Hamawy carries a trunk. Jewish Insider broke the story that Hamawy spent five weeks volunteering with Benevolence International Foundation in Sarajevo and Zenica, Bosnia, in 1994. ^[5] That organization was not merely controversial — it was ultimately identified by authorities as a financial front for Al-Qaida and shut down following international investigations. ^[4] For a man now seeking a seat in the United States Congress, that association demands a straight answer, not a press release about guilt-by-association shaming.

Then there is the Blind Sheikh connection. Fox News reported that Hamawy served as a defense witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Egyptian cleric convicted of seditious conspiracy for plotting terrorist attacks against American targets, including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. ^[1] Appearing as a defense witness for a convicted terrorist is not a youthful indiscretion — it is a documented, deliberate act. Taken together with the Bosnia volunteer work, these are not isolated data points. They form a pattern worth taking seriously.

NEW from @WillBredderman 🚨🚨🚨

In 1994 @HamawyForNJ traveled to Bosnia for "volunteer work" with a foundation later found to be an Al-Qaeda front group by the United States government

During this same period, Hamawy maintained a deep friendship 1993 World Trade Center bombing…

— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) May 27, 2026

Ilhan Omar’s Endorsement Makes This a National Story

Rep. Ilhan Omar formally endorsed Hamawy for New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District, calling him a compelling progressive voice. ^[2] Omar herself has spent years navigating controversy over statements critics characterize as sympathetic to anti-American and antisemitic positions. Her decision to back a candidate with Hamawy’s specific history is not surprising — but it is revealing. Endorsements are not accidental. They signal shared values, shared networks, and shared priorities. Voters in New Jersey’s 12th District deserve to weigh that signal carefully. ^[3]

Hamawy’s campaign leans hard on his biography as a shield. He was indeed a September 11 first responder. He did serve as a combat trauma surgeon in Iraq. ^[9] He has volunteered in Gaza hospitals. ^[7] These are genuine accomplishments and real service. But biographical heroism does not erase documented associations — it simply makes those associations more confusing and more important to explain. A man capable of that level of service is also capable of providing a direct, factual account of his choices in the 1990s. So far, that account has not materialized in any satisfying form.

The Guilt-by-Association Defense Has Limits

Hamawy’s team reached for the guilt-by-association argument almost immediately after the reporting surfaced. ^[1] That defense has genuine merit in some cases — people do get smeared through tenuous connections. But guilt-by-association arguments collapse when the association is specific, documented, and involves not one but two separate connections to individuals or organizations tied to Islamist terrorism. Volunteering for a group later designated an Al-Qaida front and testifying on behalf of the Blind Sheikh are not coincidences that share only proximity. They share a theme.

The factual record, as reported by Jewish Insider and Fox News, has not been rebutted at the primary source level. ^[5] Hamawy has not produced documents showing he was unaware of Benevolence International Foundation’s activities or affiliations, nor has he explained the nature of his defense testimony in the Abdel-Rahman trial in any documented public statement that directly addresses the substance of these questions. Dismissing scrutiny as Islamophobic pressure may satisfy progressive primary voters. It will not satisfy a general electorate — or anyone applying common sense to the available facts. The burden of explanation here rests squarely with the candidate, not with the reporters who found the receipts.