Peter King's Muslim hearings: A key moment in an angry conversation
By David A. Fahrenthold and Mic e Boorstein
Wednesday, March 9, 2011; 11:37 AM
It won't be on the official agenda. It might not even be asked out loud. But it may be the most important question during a congressional hearing Thursday on homegrown Islamic terrorists.
Even in the tense months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, public discussions of Islamic extremists were usually accompanied by a careful disclaimer that a peaceful religion had been hijacked.
But fueled by the Fort Hood massacre, controversy over a proposed Islamic center near Ground Zero and a series of high-profile arrests of home-grown terrorists, conservatives in particular have grown increasingly bold in criticizing Islam itself. They have objected to mosques, banned sharia law, attacked passages in the Koran.
On Thursday, the discussion about Muslims' place - and Muslims' obligations - in American society will move to Capitol Hill. The hearing, called by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), could be a key moment in one of the country's angriest conversations.
"You can say things, about this particular religion, which you cannot say about any other religion in the United States of America," said Akbar Ahmed, a professor at American University.
Ahmed said the hearings could either encourage, or defuse, a growing sense of su ion aimed at Muslims: "We were blind to it. And now that it's surfaced, and it's out there, I think we're at a very dangerous moment in America history," he said. "It's like a boil, and it needs to be pricked."
King's hearing will start Thursday morning in the high-arched, chandeliered hearing room of the House Committee on Homeland Security. The le is "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response."
It's not the first time Congress has tackled the subject of homegrown terror. Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) held 14 such hearings between 2006 and 2009, and former Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) held six in the House.
Public opinion about Muslims hasn't changed much during the past decade; 43 percent of Americans view Muslims negatively, according to a recent Time poll.
What's different now is the tone of the discussion - in Congress, and across the country.
In Lieberman's hearings, most witnesses preceded their comments by saying that the problem was not Islam itself. That was an echo of what former president George W. Bush said just days after Sept. 11, 2001, when he went to a District mosque and declared "Islam is peace." That remark and others that followed had the effect of constraining criticism, particularly from the right.
But now King has opened the door for less restrained commentary with his own incendiary comments about American Muslims and their mosques. King has said that there are "too many mosques in the country" and he has alleged that nearly all of them are run by radical extremists.
On Tuesday, King told Fox News that "I will not back down whatsoever" in the face of criticism that he is demonizing American Muslims.
"The threat analysis is that the danger comes from this small segment within the Muslim-American community," King said. "And unfortunately, not enough leaders in the Muslim community are willing to face up to that, as is evidenced by their irresponsible conduct over the last several months."
Around the country, the discussion about Muslims and terrorism has grown harsher over the past 18 months. It began when a Muslim Army doctor killed 13 people in a shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. A Muslim immigrant from Pakistan, Faisal Shahzad, was convicted of an attempted car bombing in Times Square in May 2010. Both said they were driven by their concept of Islam.
Then, last summer, a proposal for an Islamic community center near Ground Zero stirred bitter opposition. The pastor of a tiny church in Florida garnered international attention when he threatened to burn a pile of Korans on the anniversary of Sept. 11.
Oklahoma changed its cons ution to "protect" it from Islamic religious law, known as sharia.
This month, hundreds of protesters gathered outside a fundraiser for an Islamic group in Yorba Linda, Calif., to voice their objections to two speakers at the event. Both men, the protesters said, had been sympathetic to radical causes in the past.
Afterward, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a controversial advocacy group, released a video clip that showed protesters shouting "USA! USA!" as women in headscarves filed by. In another, a man yelled, "Muhammad was a pervert!"
Now, at this tense moment, King's hearing will attempt to characterize millions of American Muslims in the space of a few hours. The House's Republican leadership has signaled support and the hearings have been hailed by an increasingly vocal cadre of conservatives.
Lieberman, in a phone interview this week, said the questions King is raising about cooperation with law enforcement "are important ones, and real ones."
Frank J. Cilluffo, director of the Homeland Security Policy Ins ute at George Washington University and a former special assistant to President George W. Bush, also said the hearings were worthwhile.
"From my perspective, there is an opportunity to be able to discuss in an open kind of way: Who is being radicalized? Why? What potential indicators are [there]? How can communities be better prepared to police themselves?" Cilluffo said.
But the list of King's witnesses makes it appear that a full answer to these questions is unlikely to come Thursday.
Two of those testifying have deeply personal stories about radicalization in America.One saw his son - a Muslim convert - arrested for a shooting that killed one U.S. soldier at a recruiting station in Arkansas. Another, a Somali American, had a nephew turn radical: He left to join Islamic militants in Somalia, and was killed there.
Another witness will be Zuhdi Jasser, an Muslim doctor from Arizona, who has offered a critique of the Muslim community from within. Jasser has said Muslim Americans should alter what he calls a "culture of separatism," and a feeling of victimhood and persecution.
King did not invite the leaders of any of the country's large Muslim organizations. And, despite his questions about Muslims' cooperation with investigators, he did not call anyone from law enforcement.
Democrats on the committee have called Leroy Baca, the sheriff of Los Angeles County. In the past, Baca has praised Muslim groups in his area for their help. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn), one of two Muslim members of Congress, also will testify.
In a sense, Muslim activists say, the day's most important witness might be King himself. His questions, and his tone, could become signposts for others about how Islam is viewed by those in power.
"The danger is, people who already have a negative view of Muslims or Islam will use this as a verification that they are correct in their views," said Robert Marro, who heads the government relations committee at ADAMS, a prominent Sterling mosque. "People think: If they're holding hearings, these people must be guilty. There must be fire if there is smoke."
Hedieh Mirahmadi, a Muslim activist who works to promote moderate Islam, said she also saw a chance for a useful dialogue that might reveal lessons for both Muslims and other Americans.
"It depends on what happens," Mirahmadi said. "If it's truly inquisitive, if it's a sincere desire to find out the information on what is going wrong in the community, to me that's not a problem."
"The threat analysis is that the danger comes from this small segment within the Muslim-American community," King said. "And unfortunately, not enough leaders in the Muslim community are willing to face up to that, as is evidenced by their irresponsible conduct over the last several months."
This statement is a key indicator on where these hearings are going.
King:
"Why aren't you denouncing terrorism?"
Withness: " We have"
King: " Not enough to satisfy America"
"Why don't you face up to the irresponsible conduct?"
Witness: " Why do we have to own up for other peole's actions?"
King: "Because you're a muslim"
King might be the biggest bag in the House..
"biggest bag in the House."
Only a member of group Biggest s in The House.
Joe McCarthy, unless the Repugs have rehabilitated him, is smiling up on King.
Then there's that other King from Iowa.
Then there's all the TX bubba-repping bags.
What We Have Here Is Bag Fatigue.
Last edited by boutons_deux; 03-09-2011 at 04:22 PM.
really bag? define the outrage that you expect to see.."I have no choice, I have to hold these hearings, these hearings are absolutely essential," said King. "There are elements in that community that are being radicalized, and I believe that the leadership, the leaders of that community, do not face up to that reality. Too many cases are not cooperative, not willing to speak out and condemn this type of radicalization that is going on," he insisted.
Is there any doubt that this is Macarthyism redux? Really?
Given the overall level of xenophobia exibited here and elsewhere by "good" Christians.
Oh please.
King lies. yawn
Law enforcement says nearly all of their leads on suspect US Muslims comes from the Muslim community.
Seeing a hyper-powerful, super-dangerous, murderous Muslim under every bed, scapegoating an entire religion, is very definitely a repeat of the scare-mongering and hate exploitation of McCarhyism.
Are you now, or have you ever been, a Muslim?
Liberal Reality
REALITY Reality
Perhaps you will accuse Democrats of being soft on, or in league with Muslims?
They have more important things to do, like creating a new tone of civility and cracking down on the use of military metaphors in our political speech. I don't know what they plan on doing with the word "campaign".
The devout do not scare me. The devoutly hateful do. Thus, as much as Muslim extremism scares me, so does this Islamic hatemongering.
I think the McCarthy parallel is a bit chilling, though its impact was exponentially larger than anything these hearings could ever be.
"Muslim extremism scares me"
You have many times chance of being murdered by American than by a Muslim terrorist.
Considering the scale of 9/11 and subsequent wars, the degree of anti-Islamic activity, including violence within the US has been relatively small. A major reason, IMO, is that there are relatively few actual Muslims in the country. Most wouldn't know what to do if they met an actual Muslim. They'd probably be shocked to find out that they don't have six arms and don't bite.
These hearings are a self serving spectacle, especially given King's support of the IRA.
this is not to say that such radicalism does not exist, but rather that the way to deal with actual national security threats is for those to be identified through standard law enforcement methods rather than attempting to ratchet up the rhetoric.
Almost a decade later some are still trying to cash in on the bloody shirt of 9/11.
Oh, and where's Rudy?
http://www-fars.nhtsa.dot.gov/Main/index.aspx
Since 2001, 369,000 Americans have died in car crashes.
As King Targets Muslims, There Have Been Almost Twice As Many Plots Since 9/11 From Non-Muslim Terrorists
Anti-Government/Anti-Tax Extremists: There have been 36 plots by right-wing extremists since 9/11. These attacks include Joseph Stack’s suicide attack on a Texas IRS building and Joshua Cartwright, who became enraged after the election of Barack Obama and “believed that the US Government was conspiring against him.”
KKK/NeoNazi/White Supremacist: There have been 27 plots by white supremacists since 9/11. These attacks include a 2004 letter bombing of the Arizona Office of Diversity and Dialogue that injured three employees.
Unknown/Miscellaneous: There were five attacks that federal crime officials did not categorize.
Christian Extremists/Anti-Abortion: There were three attacks by anti-abortion extremists and Christian extremists. The killing of abortion provider George Tiller is the most prominent of these attacks.
Black Supremacist Cults: There were two plots by black supremacist cults.
Jewish Extremists: There were two plots by Jewish extremists. The most prominent of these was a plot by Robert Goldstein to attack a local Islamic center with home made C4 and other explosives.
Extreme Anti-Immigrant: There were two plots by anti-immigrant extremists. One of these was the attack by Shawn Forde, who murdered a Queens deli clerk and was motivated by racist and anti-immigrant feelings.
Anti-Jewish: There was one plot by an anti-Semitic extremist. Norman Leboon made anti-Semitic threats against Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA).
Anarchist: There was a single plot by an anarchist. Joseph D. Konopka “wreaked havoc in 13 counties by setting fires, disrupting radio and television broadcasts, disabling an air traffic control system, selling counterfeit software, and damaging the computer system of an Internet service provider.”
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/03/09/...ts-terrorists/
=============
So many terrorist attacks, so few Peter Kings.
You really think that violent crimes against Muslims in the US are exceedingly rare, just because there are so few of them?
Some were expecting a anti-Islamic backlash immediately after 9/11 and it never happened. I wonder why? According to you, they just couldn't find any.
I read there are 6M Muslims in UCA.
That's 3x BecKKK's current viewers.
Back in 2009, there was a Senate Homeland Security comittee hearing on US-Mexico border violence. It was led "Southern Border Violence: Homeland Security Threats, Vulnerabilities and Responsibilities."
Didn't raise many eyebrows. Why weren't Mexican-Americans outraged? As many have pointed out, I'm probably more likely to be killed in my car today than get beheaded by some member of a Mexican drug cartel -- well, unless I go to Falcon Lake.
wow darrins missed the boat yet again..I'm shocked
Are the hearings on Islam? or radical Islam?
In 1995 they had hearings on "Militias in the US". No witch hunt.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
