Don Arias, a former New York firefighter and Air Force veteran, whose life was profoundly affected by acts of radical Islamic terrorism, is voicing strong objections as individuals he describes as holding extreme views secure victories in Democratic Party primary elections.
Arias's brother, who worked on the 84th floor of the World Trade Center's South Tower, tragically died during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Arias himself witnessed the devastating aftermath of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.
He recounted speaking with his brother, Adam, on the morning of 9/11 after the first plane struck, describing the chaos and the horrifying sight of individuals jumping from the burning skyscraper.
Congressional Candidate Faces Scrutiny
One candidate drawing Arias's particular ire is Dr. Adam Hamawy, who is now the Democratic nominee for Congress in New Jersey's 12th Congressional District, a traditionally Democratic-leaning area.
Arias characterized Hamawy as "beyond the pale," stating,
When it's terrorist sympathizers, I don't really suffer fools kindly, and this guy is beyond the pale.
Hamawy, a veteran combat plastic surgeon with his own private practice in New Jersey, won a competitive Democratic primary on June 2, succeeding outgoing Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman.
His victory occurred despite past associations that have drawn criticism, including alleged connections to radical Islamic terrorism.
Records indicate Hamawy had interactions with Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the "Blind Sheikh," who was the architect of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and died in federal prison in 2017.
These interactions reportedly began in 1991 when Hamawy was a young adult. He subsequently accompanied Abdel-Rahman to various mosques and, in the same year, traveled for 13 hours with the sheikh and others from New Jersey to a conference in Detroit titled "Towards a Global Islamic Economy."
The congressional hopeful later provided testimony for the defense during the sheikh's trial.
While acknowledging Hamawy's professional credentials as a doctor and a veteran, Arias expressed profound distrust in the candidate.
He questioned Hamawy's credibility, stating,
But when he's pals with the Blind Sheikh, and he's his translator for several years, when he testifies for him in court saying what a great guy is, when he spends that kind of time with this guy, and then says that he's never heard him say anything about jihad, I have to question his veracity. I mean, that just doesn't ring true.
Arias emphasized the importance of accountability for past associations:
Show me who your friends are, and I'll tell you who you are. And if this guy Hamawy is going to try and forget all about that — he wants it to go down the memory hole and say, 'oh, I was a veteran, you know, I did good stuff' — I'm not going to forget, and I don't think people should forget.
Further concerns emerged regarding Hamawy's 1994 trip to Bosnia, which he described as a humanitarian mission. During this trip, he collaborated with the Benevolence International Foundation (BIF). Following the 9/11 attacks, BIF was officially designated by the U.S. government as a financier of terrorism due to its ties to al Qaeda.
Arias suggested a lack of voter awareness, noting,
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.
New York State Senate Candidate's Controversial Remarks
Similar concerns were raised about Aber Kawas, a socialist candidate positioned to secure a seat in the New York State Senate.
Kawas, the daughter of immigrants who lacked legal status, is the Democratic nominee for New York State Senate District 12. Her campaign received support from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and her victory was part of a broader success for progressive candidates in several New York City Democratic primaries.
In a 2017 episode of the Asian American Writers' Association podcast, titled "Islamophobia beyond 9/11 with Aber Kawas," Kawas made controversial statements regarding the 9/11 attacks.
She asserted,
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 a sentiment she found "reprehensible":
The idea we have to apologize for a terror attack that a couple of people did and then there is no apology or reparations for genocides and for slavery… is something I find reprehensible.
Arias also criticized these comments.
Critique of Education and Political Indoctrination
Arias extended his criticism to the American education system, which he believes often functions as a conduit for far-left activism rather than genuine learning.
He argued that voters supporting candidates like Hamawy and Kawas are "groomed" within educational institutions to adopt what he considers radical ideologies.
Describing this process, Arias remarked,
It's very insidious and it's very seductive to the young and dumb. It's the young, it's the dumb, it's the indoctrinated who are voting for these people in numbers.
He further stated,
I don't know what happens to a person where they actually grow to hate their own country, but I blame universities and the schools for this. It's an indictment on our education system because almost... they're all very young, very ill informed and they're Islamo-Nazis at this point.
Arias also contended that individuals like Kawas conflate Zionism, Judaism, and Israel with "white supremacy," believing this alleged "white supremacy" must be dismantled.
He characterized socialism as a "luxury belief," often espoused by young, affluent, or upper-middle-class individuals.
These guys are cruising, so they can have these luxury beliefs, these ethereal conversations about mankind. They're so out of touch,Arias concluded, highlighting what he perceives as a disconnect from reality among such supporters.
