Al-Qaida Link SHOCKS Omar’s Endorsed Candidate…

A leading Democratic congressional candidate in New Jersey is drawing intense scrutiny over a 1990s volunteer stint with a nonprofit later shut down as an Al-Qaida front — raising serious questions about judgment and associations that voters deserve to weigh carefully.

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 identified by authorities as an Al-Qaida front and shut down.
Hamawy also served as a defense witness for Omar Abdel-Rahman, the convicted terrorist known as the “Blind Sheikh,” responsible for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing conspiracy.
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minnesota), herself a frequent target of national security criticism, has endorsed Hamawy for the congressional seat.
Hamawy’s campaign calls the criticism “guilt-by-association” shaming, pointing to his record as a 9/11 first responder and combat surgeon in Iraq and Gaza.

What the Reporting Actually Shows

Jewish Insider broke the story, reporting that Hamawy spent approximately five weeks volunteering with Benevolence International Foundation in Bosnia in 1994, with work documented in Sarajevo and Zenica. The foundation was later shut down following international investigations that identified it as a front organization with ties to Al-Qaida. The Daily Caller subsequently amplified the reporting, framing Hamawy’s volunteer work as evidence of troubling associations in his past.

Separately, Fox News Digital reported that Hamawy served as a defense witness in the trial of Omar Abdel-Rahman, the “Blind Sheikh” convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and plots to attack New York City landmarks. Hamawy’s campaign acknowledged both facts but characterized the attacks as unfair guilt-by-association targeting. The campaign has not, according to available reporting, produced primary-source documentation directly refuting that the organization he volunteered with was Benevolence International Foundation.

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

Hamawy’s Broader Record Complicates the Picture

Hamawy’s supporters point to a genuinely impressive service record that cuts against the terrorism-association narrative. He responded to the September 11 attacks as a first responder, served as a combat trauma surgeon in Iraq, and most recently volunteered in Gaza hospitals operating under bombardment. His campaign website describes him as a father, husband, humanitarian, surgeon, and veteran running for New Jersey’s 12th District. These credentials have helped him emerge as a frontrunner in a competitive primary field.

Rep. Ilhan Omar’s endorsement adds a charged political dimension to the race. Omar, one of the most progressive and polarizing figures in Congress, has herself faced repeated criticism over statements perceived as hostile to Israel and, by some critics, insufficiently firm on terrorism. Her backing of Hamawy gives Republicans and some moderate Democrats a ready-made line of attack, connecting two figures whose national security records have each drawn sustained public scrutiny.

The “Association” Question Voters Must Weigh

The core factual dispute here is not whether Hamawy volunteered with Benevolence International Foundation — reporting indicates he did — but what that 1994 volunteer stint actually tells us about the man running for Congress in 2026. Humanitarian workers flooded into Bosnia during the 1990s Balkan conflict, and some organizations that appeared legitimate at the time were later exposed as compromised. Whether Hamawy knew or should have known about the foundation’s alleged extremist connections is a question the available reporting does not definitively answer.

What makes this story more than a standard campaign attack is the combination of factors: the Blind Sheikh defense witness role, the Al-Qaida-linked nonprofit, and a high-profile endorsement from one of Congress’s most controversial progressive voices — all converging on a single candidate seeking federal office. Voters in New Jersey’s 12th District, and Americans watching from outside it, are entitled to a full and transparent accounting of these facts before Election Day. The campaign’s “guilt by association” dismissal may be partially valid, but it does not substitute for a direct, documented rebuttal of the specific claims now on the public record.