A political earthquake threatens to reshape America. Muslim candidates are winning U.S. primary elections and political offices in record numbers. These victories have led to a concern among some Americans that growing Muslim political influence could lead to greater antisemitism and possibly shariah law in Islamic communities.
Last in November, a record 42 Muslim Americans swept into public office—an unprecedented shift. Leading the pack: Zohran Mamdani, becoming New York City’s mayor. His win sent shockwaves through the political establishment.
With mid-term elections just months away, analysts foresee a ‘Mamdani effect’—and its influence is only growing.
Sam Westrop, Middle East Forum director, says these Muslim electoral gains are no accident, calling them the result of a decades-long strategy of lobbying and candidate training first implemented in late 2000.
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“What is happening now in New York, New Jersey, and indeed, in Michigan, and across the country, is we’re seeing the fruits of those efforts, decades of development by Islamist radicals into building the infrastructure that is now allowing dangerous radicals to run for office,” Westrop said.
Eight years ago, Muslim American voters made history by propelling Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota into Congress as the first Muslim women to serve on Capitol Hill.
Today, a new wave is poised for even bigger breakthroughs, especially in deep-blue states, where energized Muslim communities can carry outsized influence in low-turnout primaries.
Behind the headlines, however, a more complicated story is unfolding. While some candidates, like New Jersey’s Adam Hamawy, have impressive public service records, critics say there’s more beneath the surface.
Westrop said, “Hamawy has a history of involvement with Islamist causes. Recent allegations have surfaced regarding his role as a witness in a terrorism trial, many years ago.”
In 1995, Hamawy testified in defense of Omar Abdel-Rahman, known as the “blind sheik” accused of masterminding the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Though Hamawy has since distanced himself, critics argue his testimony minimized the sheik’s extremism, raising new questions about his judgment.
In 2024 and again in 2025, Hamawy volunteered as a doctor in Gaza. His work at a hospital in Khan Younis was praised by some and questioned by others. His trips were sponsored by the Palestinian American Medical Association, a group dogged by accusations of Hamas ties—allegations firmly denied by the group.
“So there are concerns about Hamawy. And the best thing that he could do is to explain his relationship with some of these radical organizations in the United States… The silence on his part is concerning, to me. And he’s not the only candidate, that happily looks the other way,” Westrop said.
Publicly, Hamawy condemns antisemitism and the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians. At the same time, he criticizes Israel, calling it an apartheid state, labeling its Gaza campaign as genocide, and demanding Washington cut military aid.
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