Mother of convicted ISIS plotter runs for Halton school board, pledges safe schools

Dr. Khdiga R. Metwally has entered the race for a trustee seat covering Wards 1 and 2 on the Halton District School Board, representing Milton, roughly 30 miles west of Toronto. She highlights her credentials as a certified human-development instructor and her experience as a parent of children who attended public schools. Metwally’s campaign is complicated by her son, Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, who is serving a 40-year U.S. prison term after pleading guilty to an ISIS-inspired scheme to carry out attacks in New York City and later stabbing two correctional officers, one losing an eye.

She has publicly denounced all forms of extremism, called her son mentally ill, and previously claimed the terrorism allegations were fabricated, though a 2024 review cleared the RCMP. Metwally asks voters to assess her on her own record, endorsements from educators and community leaders, and her commitment to “safe and welcoming” schools, while her opponent Andrew Wood promotes a classical-education focus.