[Peace-discuss] The 6 dumbest things said at Rep. Peter King’s Muslim radicalization hearing

[C. G. Estabrook]

*The 6 dumbest things said at Rep. Peter King’s Muslim radicalization hearing
*By Sahil Kapur
Thursday, March 10th, 2011 -- 2:47 pm

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter King's (R-NY) hearing on 
American-Muslim radicalization Thursday was destined to have its fair share of 
dumb statements, especially since a majority of conservatives believe Muslims 
are more prone to violence than adherents to other religions.

Here's a roundup of some of the strangest comments made at the hearing.

*1) Neo-Nazis don't commit terrorist acts*

"There is no equivalency of threat between al Qaeda and Neo-Nazis, environmental 
extremists, and other isolated madmen," Peter King said. "Indeed, by the Justice 
Department’s own record, not one terror-related case in the last two years 
involved neo-Nazis, environmental extremists, or anti-war groups."

According to FBI data compiled in a January 2011 report, there have been 14 
attempts at domestic terrorism by individuals or groups identified as 
"Neo-Nazi." High-profile examples since 2009 include Holocaust Museum shooter 
James Von Brunn and Justin Viera.

*2) Probing U.S. Muslims is just like probing Nazi war criminals, KKK
*
Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA) implied that investigating American Muslims is not so 
different from probing Nazi war criminals.

"I would say to those who criticize us for a singular focus here that I have 
been on panels that have investigated the continuing presence of Nazi war 
criminals in the United States," Lungren said, adding, "I've been there where 
we've examined the Ku Klux Klan...and skinhead groups and militias."

"We were not criticized -- or if we were, I didn't think it was reasonable 
criticism to say we didn't look at other gangs at that time."

*3) 'We've surrendered the constitution to the jihadists'*

Zuhdi Jasser, founder and president of American Islamic Forum for Democracy, 
lamented, "We've surrendered the constitution to the jihadists."

Jasser added that investigating the Ford Hood attack without using the words 
"Islam" or "jihad" is "like trying to treat cancer without saying the word."

*4) 'Most' Muslims just don't understand the Koran!*

"What I think is the bigger problem is most Muslims don't even know what the 
Koran is all about," LA Country Sheriff Leroy Baca said.

He was responding to a question from Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY) about the Muslim 
community's relationship with law enforcement.

*5) America couldn't possibly ally with Muslim countries
*
Zuhdi Jasser glossed over quite a bit of U.S. foreign policy when saying this: 
"To ever be an ally with a Muslim country based on Sharia would be impossible."

As it turns out, the United States is -- or has been -- allied with numerous 
Muslim nations that practice Sharia law, including Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and 
Egypt.

*6) Obama isn't 'singling out' Muslims enough*

While warning of "the threat of Sharia law to the U.S. constitution," Rep. Jeff 
Duncan (R-SC) emphatically declared that he was "outraged" at the Obama 
administration for "not singling out our enemy."

But Duncan also insisted that nobody on his "side of the aisle" was intent on 
attacking Islam in general.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/03/10/the-6-dumbest-things-said-at-rep-peter-kings-muslim-radicalization-hearing/

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