New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who campaigned as a centrist Democrat in her November election victory, attended Ramadan services at the Islamic Center of Passaic County, a mosque that has faced longstanding scrutiny over alleged ties to terrorist financing. During the visit, she met with Imam Mohammad Qatanani, who has faced multiple deportation efforts over alleged links to Hamas and previously called for a “new intifada” against Israel.
Photos shared on social media showed Sherrill wearing a head covering and participating in the event at the Passaic County mosque, which was founded in 1989. In remarks following her meeting with Qatanani, the governor praised the congregation, stating, “This is a community with the five pillars of Islam that is constantly looking to do good works. And that is something I think is lacking now in this country.”
The Islamic Center of Passaic County has drawn attention for years because of individuals associated with it, writes The Washington Free Beacon. One cofounder, Mohammad El-Mezain, was convicted in 2009 of providing financial support to Hamas through the Holy Land Foundation. Another former imam, Mohammed Al-Hanooti, was reported to have raised millions of dollars for the group during his tenure in the 1990s.
Qatanani, whom Sherrill met during the visit, has denied any connection to Hamas. Court records, however, indicate he was convicted by an Israeli court in 1993 of membership in the organization. Filings by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security have alleged he failed to disclose that conviction when applying for a visa in 1999, triggering multiple deportation proceedings. Those efforts have been repeatedly challenged in court, including a July 2025 ruling by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals that limited the government’s ability to revoke his green card. The court did not rule on the underlying allegations regarding his alleged ties to Hamas.
Public statements by Qatanani have also drawn scrutiny. At a 2017 rally in Times Square protesting the Trump administration’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, he declared, according to court documents, “No peace process and negotiation without liberation in Palestine. We have to start a new intifada. Intifada, intifada!”
Qatanani has also publicly praised Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a Muslim Brotherhood figure who died in 2022 and had previously met with Hamas leaders. In a 2022 obituary, Qatanani wrote, “May God have mercy on you, our sheikh and teacher. Someone who combined heritage and contemporary, stability, flexibility, discipline in fatwa and daring died.”
Sherrill, a former assistant U.S. attorney and Navy veteran, has aligned herself with centrist Democratic groups such as the Blue Dog Coalition and the New Democrat Coalition, emphasizing pragmatic approaches to national security and defense. Her decisive victory in the gubernatorial race was viewed by some observers as a sign of continued strength for the party’s moderate wing.
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