New Jersey’s newly elected governor, who campaigned as a moderate national security Democrat, attended Ramadan services at a mosque whose imam was convicted by an Israeli jury of Hamas membership and whose founders include a convicted terror financier.
The Moderate Brand Meets Controversial Reality
Mikie Sherrill built her political career on credibility. A former Navy helicopter pilot and assistant U.S. attorney for New Jersey, she joined Congress in 2018 as part of a wave of female candidates with national security backgrounds. She aligned herself with the Blue Dog Coalition and New Democrat Coalition, groups advocating pragmatic policies and robust defense postures. Her fourteen-point gubernatorial victory in November 2024 was celebrated by PBS as validation for Democratic moderates. That carefully constructed image now faces scrutiny following her Ramadan visit to a mosque with deeply troubling connections.
A Mosque With a Documented Terror Financing History
The Islamic Center of Passaic County has been linked to terrorist activity since its founding in 1989. Mohammad El-Mezain, the mosque’s cofounder, was convicted in 2009 of funneling money to Hamas through the Holy Land Foundation. Mohammed Al-Hanooti served as an imam at the center during the 1990s and allegedly raised more than six million dollars for Hamas. These are not mere allegations or guilt by association. These are criminal convictions and documented fundraising activities for a designated terrorist organization that has murdered countless Israeli civilians and holds Americans hostage.
The Imam With a Hamas Conviction
Imam Mohammad Qatanani has fought deportation for decades. Department of Homeland Security court filings state that an Israeli jury convicted him in 1993 of Hamas membership. Federal officials filed multiple deportation cases against him, alleging he concealed his Hamas conviction on a 1999 visa application. Qatanani won several appeals, most recently in July 2025 when the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled two-to-one that DHS lacked authority to revoke his green card. The court deliberately avoided addressing the Hamas allegations themselves, deciding the case on narrow procedural grounds.
Democrat Mikie Sherrill, the Governor of New Jersey, wore a head covering to appeal to the Muslim community. pic.twitter.com/OA5NHqgpZ3
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) March 20, 2026
Public Statements That Speak Volumes
Qatanani’s public statements reveal his sympathies. In 2017, he addressed a Times Square rally opposing Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. His words were explicit: “No peace process and negotiation without liberation in Palestine. We have to start a new intifada. Intifada, intifada!” For those who need translation, intifada refers to Palestinian uprisings marked by suicide bombings, shootings, and stabbings of Israeli civilians. In 2022, he eulogized Yusuf al-Qaradawi, describing him as “our sheikh and teacher.” Al-Qaradawi met with Hamas leaders in Gaza and proclaimed the goal should be “to carry out Jihad to death.”
When Actions Contradict Positioning
Sherrill’s visit raises legitimate questions about judgment and consistency. Governors regularly engage in interfaith outreach and visit religious communities. No one disputes the importance of maintaining relationships with Muslim constituents or respecting religious freedom. The issue here is specific: choosing to worship at a mosque led by someone with an Israeli conviction for Hamas membership, who publicly calls for intifada, and who honors spiritual leaders advocating violent jihad. For a governor who campaigned on national security credentials and centrist values, this decision demonstrates either profound naiveté or deliberate indifference to optics and substance alike.
The Silence That Follows
Neither Sherrill’s office nor the Islamic Center of Passaic County responded to requests for comment about the visit. The silence is telling. If the visit was simply interfaith engagement with a misunderstood community leader, one would expect a vigorous defense explaining the context and highlighting Qatanani’s community service. Instead, there is nothing. The absence of explanation suggests an awareness that this visit cannot be easily defended to voters who expected a governor committed to combating extremism rather than legitimizing its representatives through official visits and photo opportunities during holy observances.
Sources:
Governor Mikie Sherrill Celebrates the End of Ramadan with New Jersey Muslim Groups