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March 7th, 2011
01:00 PM ET
Muslims anxious, active ahead of radicalization hearingsEditor's Note: CNN’s Soledad O’Brien chronicles the dramatic fight over the construction of a mosque in the heart of the Bible belt. “Unwelcome: The Muslims Next Door”, airs Sunday, March 27 at 8 p.m. E.T. By Dan Gilgoff, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor Every day this week, American Muslim activists are working overtime to prepare for congressional hearings on "the radicalization of American Muslims" that open Thursday. Sunday saw Muslim demonstrators gather in New York's rain-drenched Times Square to protest the hearings, standing with celebrities like Russell Simmons and other non-Muslims who held signs declaring "I am Muslim, too." On Monday, representatives from the Council on American-Islamic Relations - a national Muslim advocacy group - met will sympathetic Capitol Hill staffers to discuss communications strategy and grassroots organizing to counter Islamophia. On Tuesday, a coalition of major Muslim, interfaith and civil rights groups will announce a new campaign and website to push back against politicians and others they say are trafficking in anti-Muslim rhetoric. And that's before the hearings even begin. “The community is anxious, uncertain and even fearful in terms of what this could become in this environment,” says Akbar Ahmed, an Islamic studies professor at American University who has met with Capitol Hill aides in advance of the hearings. “There is a generalized sense of Islamophobia floating around, and the hearings are not doing anything to assuage Muslim fears.” Days before the first in what Rep. Peter King, the House Homeland Security Committee chairman, has said will be a series of hearings on American Muslim radicalization, many Muslims are deeply nervous at the specter of being demonized from such a highly visible platform as Capitol Hill. The hearings may stretch out for more than a year. But King’s hearings also have galvanized American Muslims, perhaps as never before, in an attempt to counter what they call a rising tide of Islamophobia, to lobby Washington about their concerns and to help shape the national narrative about their community. The efforts come a little more than six months after many Muslims were blindsided by a wave of national opposition to a proposed Islamic cultural center near New York’s ground zero last summer. “There was this sense after last summer’s events of needing to be more proactive in stemming this activity that stokes anti-Muslim hate,” said Farhana Khera, executive director of Muslim Advocates, a national legal advocacy group. “That’s why, as soon as we heard Rep. King say he planned to hold these hearings, we started coming forward to express our concerns,” Khera said. In February, Muslim Advocates spearheaded a letter to congressional leaders objecting to the hearings. It was signed by more than 50 organizations, including civil rights groups that had not previously been involved with the American Muslim community. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, a leading Muslim advocacy group, used its annual lobbying day last month to visit 90 congressional offices to “start offering facts about American Muslims and their role in helping prevent attacks on our nation,” said Corey Saylor, the group’s national legislative director. Two other groups - the Muslim Public Affairs Council and the Arab American Institute - held a briefing, “Islamophobia: A Challenge to American Pluralism,” for Capitol Hill staffers last Wednesday. The King hearings are also spurring mosques around the country to get more political. “Muslim Americans make vital contributions every day,” said Hadi Nael, director of the Islamic Center of Temecula Valley in California, whose congregation is calling and writing Congress to voice opposition to the King hearings. “They love this country just as every American does and should not be placed under suspicion of terrorism because of their religious beliefs or ethnic background,” he said. “King’s hearings would do just that.”  Muslims and non-Muslims demonstrated in New York Many Muslim activists said that recent remarks from King, a New York Republican, including his support for a theory that 80% of American mosques are controlled by radical imams, are evidence that he intends to target the American Muslim community broadly with his hearings, rather than focus on Islamic radicals. “Let’s not fall into the same ugly patterns that were prevalent in earlier years in America, when Jews were suspected of aiding communism and Catholics were suspected of supporting fascism,” said Eboo Patel, a leading Muslim activist, summing up his opposition to the hearings. “Let’s not repeat that history by blaming all Muslims for the extremist actions of a range of people in this country.” A White House official appeared at a Muslim community center Sunday to speak about the need to prevent violent extremism, saying U.S. Muslims are part of the solution. "The bottom line is this - when it comes to preventing violent extremism and terrorism in the United States, Muslim Americans are not part of the problem, you're part of the solution," said Denis McDonough, deputy national security adviser to President Obama. "Of course, the most effective voices against al Qaeda's warped worldview and interpretation of Islam are other Muslims." McDonough also said, "We must resolve that, in our determination to protect the nation, we will not stigmatize or demonize entire communities because of the actions of a few. In the United States of America, we don't practice guilt by association." A White House source said McDonough's speech was not meant as a "prebuttal" to King's hearings, while a spokesman said the administration is finalizing its strategy to help stop violent extremism. King called for the hearings on Muslim radicalization after Republicans won control of the House of Representatives in November's elections. He declined calls from some Democrats to broaden sessions to focus on extremists of all types, including neo-Nazis, radical environmentalists and anti-tax groups. “Al Qaeda is actively attempting to recruit individuals living within the Muslim American community to commit acts of terror,” King wrote in a letter last month to Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Mississippi, the ranking member on the Homeland Security Committee, who had suggested that King broaden the hearings’ scope. “Pursuant to our mandate, the committee will continue to examine the threat of Islamic radicalization, and I will not allow political correctness to obscure a real and dangerous threat to the safety and security of the citizens of the United States,” King’s letter continued. King told CNN's "State of the Union" with Candy Crowley on Sunday that "something from within" the Muslim community is a "threat" to America and needs to be explored. He compared the goal of the hearings to investigating the Mafia within the Italian community or going after the Russian mob in "the Russian community in Brighton Beach and Coney Island." "We're talking about al Qaeda," King said. "There's been self-radicalization going on within the Muslim community, within a very small minority, but it's there, and that's where the threat is coming from at this time." King has yet to release a full witness list for this week’s hearing, exacerbating Muslim anxiety. The sole witness whose name King has released is Zuhdi Jasser, an Arizona doctor who is Muslim but who has criticized his religion. King has also invited Rep Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota - the first Muslim elected to Congress - to testify. Ellison also appeared on "State of the Union" on Sunday, saying, "I challenge the basic premise of the hearings." "We should deal with radicalization and violent radicalization, but ... singling out one community is the wrong thing to do," he said. Democrats have invited Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca, who has praised Muslim leaders for building relationships with law enforcement authorities, to testify. A recent survey showed that 56% of Americans support the upcoming hearings, compared with 29% who think they’re a bad idea. The February survey, conducted by Public Opinion Research and the Religion News Service, found that seven in 10 Americans think Congress should refrain from singling out Muslims and should investigate all religious extremism. Not all Muslims object to the hearings. American University's Ahmed says that many first-generation American Muslims, feeling rejected both by their parents' culture and by their American peers, are at risk of being radicalized. "There's a new generation of Muslim Americans who are born here or have grown up here and are no longer fully accepted as Egyptians or Pakistanis, as their parents are," he says. "But America is also rejecting them, day and night Islam is being demonized… they’re suspended between two cultures.” "Whey you are 18, that can push you into a dangerous situation," Ahmed says. "You can go online and some idiot in the Middle East can push you in a dangerous direction. It has little to do with theology and a lot to do with anthropology." Other American Muslims interpret King’s hearings as the culmination of years of growing domestic suspicions of their community, dating back to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. “For the last 10 years, there has been a movement of intolerance against Muslim Americans, but it hasn’t been above the surface,” says Patel, who leads the Interfaith Youth Corps. “It’s now clear, from everything from the discussion around the Cordoba House (one name for the proposed New York Islamic center) to the way King has framed the hearings that there is an anti-Muslim sentiment in America that is reminiscent of anti-Semitism and anti-Catholicism,” he said. “But I’d rather it be out in the open like it is now,” Patel continued. According to the Justice Department, there were 107 anti-Muslim hate-crime incidents in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available, up from 28 such incidents in 2000. With the 10-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the horizon and some likely contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination talking up the threat of Islamic law, or sharia, taking hold in the United States, many Muslims said they fear the worst is to come. But many are also feeling that their community is finally preparing itself to take on those challenges. “This is a very American thing, congressional hearings,” said Ahmed of this week’s King session. “Let’s present the complexity and sophistication of Islam so Americans understand it better. It’s a teaching moment.” CNN's Susan Candiotti, Bonney Kapp and Rebecca Stewart contributed to this report. soundoff (1,742 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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They want us to tolerate them, but they will execute, torture and murder anyone that disagrees with them. They have killed thousands of us and not one of them has ever condemned or criticized 9/11 or any other terrorist attack they have committed.
What does a shooter in Frankfurt, Ft. Hood, underwear bobmer, shoe bomber, pilots that fly planes on nine eleven, bomber in Ny, bombers in Africa and at US Embassy's around the world have in common? And of course YOU KNOW WHO...
I pray that people wake up soon. No matter what the Muslim leader is trying to smooth out for the rest of the US. The underline of truth is that they want to get America under their control. They dont believe that Jesus is the son of God and is the Messiah. they need to stop tryin to get America from under them and for the rest of us to be non exsitant. As well as OUR PRESIDENT TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TELL THEM TO GO BACK HOME WHERE THEY CAME FROM AND FOR PRESIDENT TO FINIALLY SAY IN GOD WE TRUST AND JESUS IS THE SON OF MAN. STOP HATING THINGS. THIS IS OUR COUNTRY, OUR FOUR FATHERS HAVE ALREADY DONE ALOT TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY SAFE, SO WHERE IN THE HECK DOES IT SAY IN THE CONSITUTION, THAT THE CONSITUTION CAN CONSTANTLY CHANGING. STOP REWRITING HISTORY. ITS NOT RIGHT AND STOP TWISTING THINGS AROUND.
Make sure that the closet Muslim OBAMA is also investigated, he is doing everything possible to ruin this country and has aided and abetted the Muslims taking over the Mid-East – time to expose this idot for what he really is and what he is doing to this country!!!
There has been no historical record of Muslims be slaughtered by Christians or Jews. This does not count the Crusades, those were wars and people die in wars. But there is absolutely NO RECORD of a civilian Muslim population be slaughtered by Christians. I can cited DOZENS of incidents where Muslims slaughtered Christians and I can cite examples of Muslims slaughtering other non-Muslims – like the Khalish in Afghanistan and Pakistan-(Khalish were pagans).
Fact: a large portion of Islam is radical and violent.
Fact: the are organized and have access to a lot of money.
Fact: the "moderate" Islamic population protects the radical and hides them. (see the Ft Hood Shooter)
Fact: Islam wishes to impose Shariah law on the United States – a desire confirmed by the so-called man behind the "Ground-Zero" Mosque.
Fact: – Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) – is an un-indicted co-conspirator in the terror finance trial of the Holy Land foundations – but CNN and FOX both invite Ibrahim Hooper and "honor" him. This is akin to making the Grand Wizard of the KKK a member of their analysis panels.
Fact: The Muslim Brotherhood has this motto
– Allah is our objective.
– The Prophet is our leader.
– Qur'an is our law.
– Jihad is our way.
– Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope.
And the Muslim Brotherhood is considered "moderate".
I think it is time to investigate Islam.
The young Muslim who had planned to detonate a bomb in Portland's Pioneer Square before Christmas was turned in by his father. His father had become deeply concerned about his son's behavior and alerted the FBI. You can't make a blanket statement that none in the Muslim community will turn in someone they are concerned about.
Islam followers?
and we critcize Adolph Hitler?
Islamic terrorists are our enemies; the basis for their actions is their culture/religion–it is perfectly appropriate for hearings to be held. Look at Hasan, who was though weird by his mosque and his Muslim friends–they did nothing–and the military and medical colleagues who were afraid to speak up for fear of being politically correct. I haven't heard–certainly not on or after 9/11, any public denouncements of these extremists by other Muslims–what I hear is other Muslims insisting they have nothing to do with this and they are being 'targeted' by inquiries. In a sane world, young men of a certain appearance would be the ones pulled out of lines for checks, because that is what the enemy looks like–but that would be "profiling" - I guess every criminal alert is 'profiling" –otherwise the cops would stop all men, for example, instead of man's type identified by witnesses–if you're looking for a white assailant, you don't pull over Asians, Hispanics, Blacks, etc. Political correctness will be the death of us.
Does that mean be careful at public trains and buses?
Go back and check your history, Islam is behind all the hatred of Christians and Jews. Just look at current events, the killing of Christians in Iran, the murder of the sailors of the Somoeli cost, the killing of the Airmen in Germany, etc...These people hate your guts people and political leaders throughout the world don't say or do anything about it? Well when you are in "BED" with the oil Kings you won't!!! For the love of money is the root of "ALL" evil!!!
This discussion brought up by a Republican (they need to get their scare tactics in line for next election) should not be held. Let's go back in history to every person in Congress and you will find that EVERYONE was an immigrant at some time. Everyone has different religious views in their ancestry. This country was founded on freedom of religion and if anyone in congress does not honor that, they should be recalled.
Of course when a person gets bitten by a snake whether poisonous or not he or she will develop a phobia of those slithering treacherous creatures. The same thing applies to an ethnic group or followers of a religion when they have repeatedly committed acts of extreme violence in the name of their beliefs. Is it normal to be fearful or have a phobia of Muslims whether terrorist or not? I think that our safety and our self preservation is better assured when we develop a healthy dose of Islamophobia. The fear of Muslims is GOOD and good law abiding Muslims have nothing to fear.
Hey they might even play it safe and start avoiding crocodiles and lizards, too. Which is why I recommend staying clear of monotheists in general.
Islamic centers have been breeding ground for terrorists and radical Muslims all over the world, even in the western world. UK, Spain and Germany are few of the examples. Most Muslims are peace-loving people but when it comes to side with Muslim vs non-Muslim, they will side with Muslims no matter whether right or wrong. That is why Muslim community has never strongly criticized Islamic violence. By allowing construction of Islamic center here will do only one thing. We will not have to export terrorists from Pakistan or Middle East; we will have home grown terrorists in plenty. Each Islamic center in this country is security threat and should be monitored closely by Homeland Security department.
western governments have been breeding ground for terrorists and radical war mongerers all over the world, even in the eastern world. Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan are few of the examples. Most Westerners are peace-loving people but when it comes to side with Western Government vs Muslim, they will side with Western Governments no matter whether right or wrong. That is why Western Governments have never strongly criticized weapons proliferation and war terrorism. By allowing construction of Western military bases there will do only one thing. We will not have to export terrorists from America and Great Britain; we will have home grown terrorists in plenty. Each Western Government in its country is security threat to peace in the world and should be monitored closely by all peace loving people of the world.
When all the alleged, "good" muslems start speaking out against terror (and start turning the bad guys in), I'll believe it. Until then, you're all stinking terrorists.
How are Muslim-American terrorism plots being disrupted? Fully 1/3 of investigations involved tips from the Muslim American community. In some communities, Muslim Americans have been so concerned about extremists in their midst that they have turned in people who turned out to be undercover informants, including Craig Monteilh in Orange County, California, and Darren Griffin in Toledo, Ohio.
Muslim-American terrorism makes news. Out of the thousands of acts of violence that occur in the United States each year, an efficient system of government prosecution and media coverage brings Muslim-American terrorism suspects to national attention, creating the impression - perhaps unintentionally - that Muslim-American terrorism is more prevalent than it really is.
when westerners stop exporting weapons and weapons of mass destruction and supplying both sides of conflicts in the Muslim World, we everyday Muslims will get up and start condemning terrorists. Until then, we will just sit and watch the show. Our terrorists fighting your terrorism. Makes no sense for your terrorists to tell us to condemn our terrorists.
Here is the American perspective. We are free to choose our faith, whatever faith that is without fear of recourse
in anyway by the government. We believe in the equality of all people.
We believe in innocent until proven guilty.
To paraphrase Lincoln: Any view that is different than that, to the extent of the difference is UnAmerican.
That's America folks, and that is the freedom our kids are dying for overseas.
Religion will be the downfall of the human race. Doesn't matter what flavor of the mass delusions that encompass all religions you follow, you are still delusional. Look deep inside yourself if you have the courage – there is only one reason you believe in what you do; your parents told you to. Just as thier parents told them to. Almost every current religion is just stolen parts of previous religions. I say almost because of the scientologynutjobs are in a class of thier own. All this hate because 3 groups of people who believe in the same IMAGINARY god, disagree about a if fictional character was a messiah or not. I'm sure I'll get a lot of hate filled replies from members of these religions of peace and love, but if you do post a reply please don't include quotes for a book written 1000 years by men who wanted to control the masses and get rich.
Not really. I am a huge follower of science and belive in evolution and look for natural explanations. But as the same time religion doe not make someone do those things. Its the individual person who does. Religion can not explaine everything i dont think it ever was suppose to. maybe just maybe the path or religion sciene and overall humanity is the way to really understand god.
Religion can't explain ANYTHING. HTH.
"Religions can't explain ANYTHING"
thats exactly what your grandparents Hitler, Stalin and Mao said!
BTW, hitler and stalin were once Christians. So, if they changed, will all Christians soon become mass murderers? By your logic, yes. Let's hold heariings on un-American Christians.
Wrong! I was raised atheist by staunch atheists. I chose to become Christian. I get mocked etc every time I come anywhere near my 'tolerant' atheistic family. Yeah because atheists and agnostics are so loving and inclusive... NOT!
Does anyone see the correlation betwen this and the mccarty hearings. People get scared and want security you dont just chuck that out the window so you can point to someone else and say get him hes different. We have an education system thats in the crapper our economy is horrid, We have two wars going on costing us billions a day to fight. But I am glad to see congress is finally back to work holding hearings it essentially did 50 years ago. It got us nowwhere then and will do the same thing here. Good Job congress glad to see my taxes going for a just cause. Whats next they start putting us catholics in hearings on child abuse? Rediculous right? unfortunitly stupidity and bigotry with a dash of self importance is the new congressional motto. Thanks Geaorge Hamilton (speaker of the house haha) Thanks,
Yes, the correlaton is that the McCarthy hearings and King's hearing were both brought on by republicans, the original American rights haters.
SeanM,
There's a significant problem with your rationale. Islam is a supremacist ideolgoy. The quran is filled with versus demonizing all who are non muslims. Islam not only condones slavery but it encourages it along with raape, ethnic cleansing, stealing the property of non muslims and eternal warfare (Jihad) against all non muslims.
1. 9-11 terrorist attack killed nearly 3,000.
2. Bali bombing terrorist attack killed 202
3. London 7-7 bombing terrorist attack killed 56.
4. Beslan terrorist attack killed 380.
5. Madrid train terrorist attack killed 191.
6. Mumbai terrorist attacks killed 164.
7. Fort Hood terrorist attack killed 13.
ALL of these terrorist attacks killed over 4,000 non mus lims and are the ones we heard the most about, but there were another 10,000 islam ic terror attacks since 9-11. All of these acts of terror were carried out BY mu slims, ALL of these terrorist attacks were committed against non mu slims, ALL of these terrorist attacks can be justified by the quran, the ahadiths and the Sira "Life of the profit moham id. The evidence is absolutely overwhelming and I find it implausible that you could HONESTLY compare them to the the McCarthy Communist Witch Hunt. You are either an appologist or a mus slim attempting to mislead and misdirect. If American mus slims have nothing to hide then they should welcome the hearings.
i am getting tired of or people for giving muslims because they say muslims don't believe in what terroist are doing. if we had a group of people in this country that was doing what these terroist are doing are laws would have them arested and tried in our courts for murder. i think as long as muslim nations make heros out of these people that is the same thing as being a murderer themselves. when enough time goes by with these nations sitting on their hands and letting these kinds of groups to operate and train on their soil without being confronted by the country all who are in the country become in the eyes of the world one in the same.
really??? what about skin heads and other WHITE groups who hold hitler and the oklahoma city bomber as heroes? Look I am catholic and had friends who lost loved one on 9-11 but please rationally think out what you are trying to say before you say it.
>> if we had a group of people in this country that was doing what these terroist are doing are laws would have them arested and tried in our courts for murder. <<
so what did you do when George Bush and Co. illegally invaded Iraq and terrorized its citizens, killing directly atlast 100,000 of them as a result of their terrorism, and indirectly 100,000s more?
ANSWER = you re-elected him as President of your great country!!
Whaa, iraq was invaded, whaa...
and I want GW back David
99% of all the murdering done in this country is by people who identify as "Christian."
I would love to see the actual data backing your claim.
Just cause someone claims to be a Christian AFTER they are arrested does not make them a Christian, you dolt.
Nonsense. Turn to Jesus.
Jesus Loves You.
He died for your sins.
that means when you sin,
you are no longer responsible for your sin.
because Jesus died for your sins.
it also means that now you are sinless.
since you believe Jesus died for your sins.
you can sin no more.
makes sense?
Q uran, chapter 5 verse 34: "The reward for those who wage war against a llah and his profit mo hamid and strive to create disorder in the land is only this that they should be killed or crucified or that their hands and their feet should should be cut off on alternate sides, or they should be expelled from the land".
Why don't you flip thru the NEW TESTAMENT, the Chris tian portion of the Bi ble and find where J esus gave similar barbaric commands you fraud.
My only problem with Muslims is that they wont turn each other in. I have never heard of any Muslim radicals being brought down by non-radical Muslims in the name of peace. i get the impression that they (non-radicals) just turn their heads when they hear of violence to come, but they all ARE hanging out together at one point or another. You pretty much are forced to racial profile if the non-radicals will not stand up to defend a westerner or defend their non-violent claims.
Islam is a religion not a race.
Are you kidding me? Here is a quote from a CNN opinion piece by Talat Hamdani from YESTERDAY:
"In fact, a recent study by a research group affiliated with Duke University found that 48 of the 120 Muslims suspected of plotting domestic terrorist attacks since September 11, 2001, were turned in by fellow Muslims. These include parents, mosque members and even a Facebook friend."
Try reading a little bit, pal.
lol. he got his news from CNN.
LOL! I did! HAHAHAH! LOL! From CNN!! ROTFLMAO HAHAHA. LOL!
And CNN got it from: CHARLES KURZMAN
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA.
There is a link to the study in the article.
So no one is a reputable source for you? Go back to listening to Fox. I get the feeling they are more your taste.
The FBI has credited many in the Muslim community for providing tips that led to the arrest of would be terrorist. Its naive to think the majority of Muslims are happy with the way they're being portrayed in the media and stand idle–doing nothing about it. They are people just like you and I.
Read the quran. Islam is an ideology.
That's bullsh@#, dude. Muslims have turned in muslims multiple times for planned attacks.
See, this is what we talking about right here. The IGNORANCE.
Muslims are actually on the primary forces on the frontlines against terrorism all over the world. No identifiable group has lost or sacrificed more to fight terrorism than muslims!