A New Jersey congressional candidate and a New York state senate candidate are facing criticism from a 9/11 victim's brother who claims they have past associations with individuals linked to radical Islamic terrorism. Don Arias, a former firefighter and brother of a 9/11 victim, expressed his alarm over the electoral successes of candidates he deems radical.
Adam Hamawy, the Democratic nominee for New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, is a combat plastic surgeon who won a crowded primary on June 2. Arias has raised concerns about Hamawy's past interactions with Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the "Blind Sheikh," who was convicted as the mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. According to the report, Hamawy met Abdel-Rahman in 1991, accompanied him to mosques, and testified on his behalf during his trial. Arias questions Hamawy's claims of not hearing the Sheikh speak about jihad, given their association.
Hamawy also participated in a 1994 humanitarian mission to Bosnia, where he worked with the Benevolence International Foundation (BIF). Following the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. government designated BIF as a financier of terrorism due to its alleged ties to al-Qaeda.
Arias stated that he believes voters are not adequately researching candidates and that such associations should be a prominent factor in electoral decisions. "We're not educating the voters, and the voters aren't doing the proper research into their candidates, because I think if they knew that this guy, if it was top of mind awareness that this guy had these kinds of connections… they wouldn’t vote for him, and I think people need to bring that to the forefront," Arias said.
In New York, Aber Kawas, the Democratic nominee for State Senate District 12 in Queens, has also drawn criticism from Arias. Kawas, whose parents are described as undocumented immigrants, won her primary with backing from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. She has previously stated in a 2017 podcast that the "system of capitalism and racism and White supremacy… and Islamophobia have all been used to colonize lands, to take resources from other people and so this is a long trajectory, and we’re just seeing the manifestations of that continuation with 9/11."
Kawas also expressed that the idea of apologizing for the 9/11 attacks while there is no apology or reparations for genocides and slavery is "reprehensible." Arias condemned these remarks, comparing candidates like Kawas and those who support her, such as Mamdani, to communists and Nazis.
Arias attributed the electoral success of such candidates to what he sees as a failing education system that he believes indoctrinates young people with radical beliefs. He suggested that voters for these candidates are often young, uninformed, and influenced by what he termed "Islamo-Nazis."
Hamawy's campaign did not respond to requests for comment. Kawas declined to answer questions, directing inquiries to her X account.