SouthernWorldwide.com – A prominent Republican has vowed to pursue a comprehensive investigation into a likely Democratic congressional colleague, following the latter’s primary victory and the resurfacing of his connections to the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. The controversy has significantly impacted the political landscape in New Jersey after Tuesday’s primary elections.
Dr. Adam Hisham Hamawy, a decorated combat plastic surgeon with a private practice near Princeton, has faced intense scrutiny over his past as a defense witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman, infamously known as the “Blind Sheikh.” Abdel-Rahman, convicted for his role in the 1993 WTC bombing, later died in federal prison.
Hamawy emerged victorious in a competitive 12-way Democratic primary for a Central Jersey congressional seat. This district has consistently elected Democrats for decades, setting the stage for a November showdown against perennial candidate Professor Gregg Mele.
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Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican, expressed strong concerns regarding Hamawy’s past associations. “Adam Hamawy was a defense witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman, the Blind Sheikh behind the 1993 World Trade Center bombing,” Lawler stated. He further highlighted Hamawy’s volunteer work in Bosnia a year prior with an organization that the U.S. Treasury later designated as a financier of terrorism, and which the 9/11 Commission linked to Osama bin Laden’s network.
“He has never answered for any of it,” Lawler added, questioning Hamawy’s suitability for a congressional role, particularly given the sensitive information members of Congress handle, including on foreign affairs.
“If he’s elected in November, I’ll push for a full investigation because the American people deserve the truth,” Lawler declared. Lawler’s district includes Rockland County, New York, an area with a significant Orthodox Jewish population, and he has been a vocal advocate for Israel and the Jewish community against threats from Iran and Hezbollah.
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Adding to the controversy, Hamawy had previously volunteered at a hospital in Gaza during a period of conflict. Lawler’s district recently hosted a rally featuring former President Donald Trump and New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart. Lawler’s prominence on counterterrorism and Israel issues was underscored by an incident involving the son of Senator Rand Paul, who allegedly confronted Lawler in a Washington bar, accusing him of being Jewish during an anti-Israel tirade.
Neighboring Congressman Josh Gottheimer, a Democrat representing North Jersey, while not directly calling for an investigation, voiced his apprehension. He told Jewish Insider that he has “serious questions and deep concerns” regarding Hamawy’s “associations with terrorist organizations and leaders who have attacked America.”
Echoing Lawler’s sentiment, Gottheimer emphasized that Hamawy must address these connections to the voters of New Jersey. The controversy stems from Hamawy’s testimony in defense of Abdel-Rahman, where he described attending a conference in Detroit where the cleric was present.
During his testimony, Hamawy stated that Abdel-Rahman frequently spoke of “jihad” and had, at one point, questioned Emad Salem, who later became a government informant, about why Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had not yet been assassinated.
Hamawy has attributed some of the criticism directed at him to Islamophobia. He has pushed back against such characterizations, including those made by one of his Democratic primary opponents, Plainfield Mayor Adrian Mapp. “Any Muslim is going to be called a terrorist at some point, and these tropes are outdated and worn,” Hamawy stated in response to Mapp, as reported by the New Jersey Monitor.
However, the prosecutor who led the case against Abdel-Rahman, former U.S. Attorney Andrew McCarthy, pointed out that Hamawy appeared voluntarily as a defense witness. “He didn’t have to come unless he wanted to,” McCarthy said in an interview on “The Story.”
“It wasn’t like I subpoenaed him. It wasn’t like the government brought him in as a hostile witness. He volunteered to testify for this guy. He knew exactly who he was,” McCarthy continued. He also noted that Hamawy’s testimony regarding his recollection of a conversation about Mubarak was “not very persuasive” during cross-examination.
Critics have also pointed to Hamawy greeting Abdel-Rahman from the witness stand with the Muslim greeting “Salaam Alaykum,” suggesting a level of personal familiarity. When questioned by reporters during the primary campaign, Hamawy described Abdel-Rahman as a spiritual leader within the Muslim community and asserted that he “wasn’t preaching death and destruction all the time,” while also stating his personal abhorrence of all violence.
Hamawy and Abdel-Rahman reportedly first met at a middle school forum in Matawan, New Jersey, in 1991, according to Hamawy’s previous court testimony.
