TRENTON - In the shade of Mill Hill within eyeshot of the George Washington Statue, Dr. Adam Hamawy - U.S. Army veteran - addressed his past association with the Blind Sheikh, and his views on Israel and war.

InsiderNJ asked Dr. Hamawy if he condemns the Blind Sheikh, convicted for seditious conspiracy, and if he condemns Jihad and religious extremism.

"Obviously, any extremism of any kind is bad," Hamawy told InsiderNJ. "I have spent my life saving lives rather than taking them, so clearly I've shown I've served this country in uniform, I've taken care of hundreds of troops and soldiers. I've served this community. I was a responder on 9/11. So, clearly my actions speak for themselves, and I'm against all war and all violence. That's really what I've been saying since day one. Healthcare not bombs. I've seen the horrors of war and so, yes, I condemn all extremism and all violence of any kind."

The Blind Sheikh?

"Thirty years ago, he was a well-known person in the community. He spoke all over New Jersey ...As a Muslim, they're always going to find something to attack.

"I'm used to it," he added.

Some context, via Matt Friedman's Politico earlier this week:

You probably remember “The Blind Sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman, who went to federal prison for life after being convicted of terrorism and seditious conspiracy. It was a huge story in the aftermath of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, which was carried out by the then-New Jersey resident’s followers.

During Abdel-Rahman’s trial, the defense called then-medical student Hamawy as a witness to contradict a federal informant’s claim that Abdel-Rahman encouraged the informant to kill then-Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. 

And today, from Trenton:

Statement for attribution to a spokesperson for Dr. Hamawy:

Dr. Adam Hamawy’s entire career and life have been defined by his patriotism and deep love of this country. He served in the military for over twenty years with distinction as a Lt. Colonel, including a tour in combat, during which he saved the lives of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth and hundreds of other American troops in Iraq. In 2001, he treated victims of the 9/11 terror attacks at Ground Zero.

He was in the military at the time the events litigated in the trial took place, during the trial, and after the trial. In the years that followed, Dr. Hamawy was chosen for one of the most sensitive and highest-trust roles for an Army doctor: deployment to treat critically injured troops in Iraq. His sacrifices for our freedom accurately reflect his character and values then and now. As a witness, he performed his civic and legal duty to testify truthfully under oath and contribute to the system of laws and justice he defended while serving our country in the Army.

This story originated on a designated hate group’s blog, and these bad-faith, guilt-by-association attacks on Muslim and Arab candidates are nothing new in our politics. Dr. Hamawy is running for office because too many New Jerseyans are struggling while the wealthiest get richer, and that’s exactly what he’ll stay focused on in this race.