NEW YORK: Huma Abedin the Muslim wife of a former New York Congressman Anthony Weiner who is a Jew, came under harsh unwarranted criticism from ultra right wing of Republican party for having relatives with ties to Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt.

But to everyone’s surprise it was the Republican Senator John McCain who came to an unexpected and impassioned defence of Ms Abedin, a top aide to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton saying that “sinister accusations” by congressional conservatives about her alleged connection to the Muslim Brotherhood must end.

Ms Abedin, whose stoic, quiet demeanour has been applauded and documented in photographic articles in major US magazines including Vanity Fair has long been a quiet presence — on Mrs Clinton's Senate staff and on the campaign trail with the former first lady as she sought the 2008 Democratic nomination for president. Huma became more known to Americans after former President Clinton officiated at her 2010 wedding to then-Rep. Anthony Weiner, a democratic congressman from New York, who resigned in 2011 after it was disclosed he had sent sexually suggestive text messages to several women who connected with him on social networking sites. Weiner is a staunch supporter of Israel.

The attacks on Ms Abedin have been spearheaded by Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, the chairwoman of the tea party caucus in the US Congress, and four other lawmakers, who have asked federal officials to investigate whether Abedin, a Muslim American who is deputy chief of staff at the State Department, is influencing US policy in ways beneficial to the pan-Arab Islamic group.

“These attacks on Huma have no logic, no basis and no merit. And they need to stop now,” said McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee and its top voice on defence policy. “I have every confidence in Huma's loyalty to our country, and everyone else should as well. All Americans owe Huma a debt of gratitude for her many years of superior public service. I hope these ugly and unfortunate attacks on her can be immediately brought to an end and put behind us before any further damage is done to a woman, an American, of genuine patriotism and love of country.”