Mother of convicted terror plotter seeks school board seat in Canada
Dr Khdiga R Metwally, whose son Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy is serving a 40-year US prison sentence for plotting an ISIS-inspired terror attack in New York, is standing for election as a school board trustee in Halton, Canada, near Toronto. She has told the Daily Mail that her son is mentally ill, that she rejects violence and extremism "in all forms", and that she has never supported any violent act, arguing her candidacy should be judged on her own qualifications and educational experience rather than her son's crimes.
El Bahnasawy, who was 20 at the time, pleaded guilty to plotting bombings and shootings at Times Square, the subway and concert venues in New York during Ramadan 2016, telling prosecutors he wanted to "create the next 9/11"; he was arrested after an undercover FBI operation. While serving his sentence, he stabbed two prison officers in Pennsylvania in 2020, blinding one in one eye, leaving a note describing it as an Islamic State terrorist attack, and has since pleaded guilty to those additional charges. Metwally, a certified human development instructor who says she backs "safe and welcoming" schools, previously called the case against her son "fabricated", though a 2024 Canadian oversight review found police had acted in good faith; she is contesting the Halton trustee seat against pastor Andrew Wood.
- Mother of jailed ISIS plotter runs for Canadian school board seat
- Son plotted 2016 NYC attack, later stabbed two prison guards
- She says he's mentally ill and denies backing any violence
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters of her right to stand argue that candidates should be judged on their own record, qualifications and conduct, not on the actions of a family member, however horrific. They point out that Dr Metwally has not been accused of any wrongdoing, holds relevant professional credentials in human development and education, and has publicly and repeatedly condemned violence and extremism. On this view, denying her a fair hearing simply because of who her son is amounts to guilt by association, and voters remain free to judge her platform for safe and welcoming schools on its merits at the ballot box.
The case against
Others argue that voters are entitled to weigh a candidate's judgement and credibility as part of assessing fitness for a position of public trust over children's education. They note that Dr Metwally previously described the case against her son as "fabricated" even after his guilty plea and a subsequent prison attack on officers described as an ISIS-inspired assault, and that a 2024 oversight review found police had acted in good faith, which some see as relevant to how forthright and reliable her public statements are. From this perspective, scrutiny of her past comments is not an attack on her personally but a legitimate part of due diligence for a school board role centred on safety and trust.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Mother of ISIS jihadist convicted in New York terror plot to ‘create the next 9/11’ runs for public office to create ‘safe and welcoming’ environments in woke city”.