CONGRESSIONAL HEARING: Muslim radicalization?

I have been meaning to write an opinion on the congressional hearings being held by Representative Peter King (R-Long Island, NY), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee.

The hearings are about the radicalization of American Muslims and I guess how to prevent said radicalization.

I have not written to date because I was and am confused. Usually, I start with a question of common sense; what are the hearings to accomplish? Well, I don’t really know and I may add, what are the hearings to do that our various police agencies are not already doing?

King has criticized the American Islamic community for not speaking out forcefully enough against radicalization. I had the same criticism some time ago when I felt Islamic leaders were not speaking out enough or if they were speaking out, it was not simple condemnation but more like an explanation.

King has also criticized the American Islamic community for not cooperating with law enforcement enough. How does he know that? What does law enforcement say?

People have criticized his hearings as akin to the Joe McCarthy communist witch-hunt in the 1950s. Is Ford looking for radicalized Muslims in the U.S. or Muslims that know of people that are radicalized Muslims? I though our security services were the ones looking for these people.

Some Muslims are upset by the hearings (protests) and some are hoping the hearings will show that American Muslims are Americans first and Muslims second?

Still pretty confusing…more later.

Related articles

• Islamic Radicalism Deserves Our Focus. (greatriversofhope.wordpress.com)
• Some Emotion, No Surprises At Muslim Radicals Hearing (npr.org)
• Imam Rauf Speaks About Muslim Radicals Hearings (npr.org)
• Former Counterterrorism Chief Says Muslims Cooperate (huffingtonpost.com)
• Congressional hearings may reignite McCarthyism (rt.com)