Muslim Radicalization Inquiry Brings Out the Radicals

March 10, 2011 By 33 Comments

That Thursday’s congressional hearings on Islamic radicalization have provoked a greater outcry from the American Muslim community than any number of atrocities committed in their religion’s name ironically hints at the grounds for the probe.

On Sunday, several hundred demonstrators poured into Times Square, where Faisal Shahzad’s attempt to curtail the civil liberties of Americans sparked no such assembled outrage, to protest Congressman Peter King’s hearings. “To single out Muslim-Americans as the source of homegrown terrorism,” Rabbi Marc Schneier told those gathered, “and not examine all forms of violence motivated by extremist belief—that, my friends, is an injustice.”

On MSNBC, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, one of two Muslims in Congress, called the Homeland Security Committee’s inquest “a disturbing use of a Congressional hearing.” On Wednesday, the ACLU’s Laura Murphy warned at Politico that the inquiry “calls to mind the McCarthy hearings.” “Notice that the hearing is solely about Muslims,” the New York Times editorialized Monday. “It might be perfectly legitimate for the Homeland Security Committee to investigate violent radicalism in America among a wide variety of groups, but that doesn’t seem to be Mr. King’s real interest.”

The White House made sure to voice its displeasure with the congressional inquiry. “In the United States of America, we don’t practice guilt by association,” deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough said at a Dulles, Virginia mosque over the weekend. “And let’s remember that just as violence and extremism are not unique to any one faith, the responsibility to oppose ignorance and violence rests with us all.”

Did Peter King overlook sleeper cells plaguing Quaker Meeting Houses? What, but bigotry, explains the exclusion of Orthodox Jews from the Homeland Security Committee’s inquest? Could he have missed the wave of Episcopalian suicide bombers?

Pretending for social harmony’s sake that Islam is Hinduism is Christianity is Judaism is Zoroastrianism makes a farce out of anti-terror efforts. It does so at airport security screening, where geriatric Asian women get singled out alongside twenty-something Pakistani men. It does so in congressional hearings, which will be deemed unacceptable so long as the 21st-century Nazis and South African white nationalists who terrorize movie audiences aren’t duly represented alongside al Qaeda. Political correctness, a point of ridicule on college campuses, kills in this context.

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Filed Under: Daily Mailer, FrontPage
About

Daniel J. Flynn is the author of numerous books, including "Blue Collar Intellectuals: When the Enlightened and the Everyman Elevated America," now available from ISI Books. Read Daniel's blog at www.flynnfiles.com.

  • Chezwick_Mac

    Last night, Bill O'Reilly's producer – Jessie Waters – went on campus at Columbia U to ask students about the up-coming hearings and the threat posed by "radical" Islam. I must say, leftist faculty is doing a bang-up job indoctrinating these impressionable (and clueless) young men and women.

    To a person, they mouthed all the typical, politically-correct platitudes. "There are extremists in every religion" was the most common refrain…an abstract truth to be sure, but entirely oblivious of scope and degree.

    It was – in a word – depressing.

    • John

      My friend, I've come to believe that "depressing" is it's most redeeming quality.

    • Jim_C

      Whenever I hear "What about the Oklahoma City bombing? There's white terrorists too!" (It's even worse when they throw the word "Christian" in there) I throw up a little. Yes, there's something pretentious and naive about the fight to appear most fair.

      • Chezwick_Mac

        I hear you, Jim. Happened to me last month. I was talking to my wife's niece's husband about Islam…and he came back with exactly that example (he literally used the word "Christian"). I had to remind him that Timothy McVeigh NEVER used religion to justify his actions…that he wasn't a Christian in anything but name, had no religious affiliations, etc.

        He conceded the issue, but refused to concede the broader point. The equivalence argument has become a veritable mantra.

  • http://apollospaeks.townhall.com ApolloSpeaks

    ISLAM STIGMATIZES ISLAM: OBAMA AND THE PETER KING HEARINGS

    In a predictable reaction to Peter King's House hearings on Islamic radicalization in America, an obvious problem given the recent record surge in Moslems arrested for plotting domestic mass murder attacks*, Peter McDonough, deputy national security advisor to President Obama, said this: "Radicalization efforts prey on people who feel disillusioned or marginalized and that it is important not to fuel radicalization by stigmatizing Muslim Americans." Mr. McDonough and his clueless boss seem oblivious to the fact that it is ISLAM THAT STIGMATIZES ISLAM.

    continued

  • http://apollospaeks.townhall.com ApolloSpeaks

    They're oblivious that Islam has had a public relations problem with the infidel world from its inception 1400 years ago-since its prophet disillusioned with peacefully spreading his faith and marginalized within the Meccan community for attacking its religion as sinful, personally damning and violently hated by God, picked up the sword to save his failing movement; picked it up in rage against all infidels who scorned him and cried: 'Believe in me or die! Believe in me or die! And if it pleases me to let you live I'll crush you with oppression!' Since that fatal day when Mohammed lost his mind and was radicalized into a killing machine for God Islam has become the terror and scourge of mankind-slashing, burning and murdering its way to power, glory and empire in imitation of its bloodthirsty, ruthless, predatory founder. Islam means endless war against mankind until it's conquered and subdued. It means lawlessness and immorality in pursuit of absolute power. And the number of Moslems who believe in it are legion.

    Click my name to continue reading this widely linkd article.

  • davarino

    The left always resorts to accusations of McCarthy tactics. Unfortunately for the American public, they dont realize McCarthy was right. After the Soviet Union fell documents were released that showed there were Soviet agents all through our government. My money is with Rep King, I'll bet he finds more than just a few "radical" muslims in America and even in our government. Happy hunting sir

    • ziontruth

      "Unfortunately for the American public, they dont realize McCarthy was right."

      Ditto, but I'll add: He never imagined how right he was. He was right not just about America, but about the entire developed world. America, Western Europe, India and Israel alike are all held in thrall by a media owned and operated by the Marxist Left that enables the Marxists to exercise virtual power over the nation-states even when they aren't officially in the government seat. This is the reason why the nation-states make such boneheaded moves even when a right-wing government is in power.

      The free world owes Joseph McCarthy an apology. The best apology is not words but finishing the job he started. Criminalize Marxism!

    • http://southernrunner.blogspot.com loseyateefa

      Churchill…..or Chamberlain? hindsight is so brilliant, but Insight is priceless.

  • John

    What is so special about this religion/political system that there are so many that are willing to give it a pass for the terror it brings? It baffles me. Are these protesters that are siding with the radicals (and that is what they are doing) so fearful that we are going to make them mad? Well, they're already mad, probably at being born, and we had nothing to do with it. Here the situation: You've got a crazed lunatic standing in front of you with a knife saying either you do things his way or you will die. Do you think, "Maybe he didn't have a good childhood, maybe he didn't do well in school or wasn't picked for the baseball team when he went to school, was he an outcast, or the "F" word (it's not "faaaaiiiiirr") for him. This is what these protesters are doing in my opinion. Now when the man kills you or wounds you and your family, why do you still have this attitude? He's dangerous, he has the capability and obvious lack of conscience to kill you. Why do you tolerate it? You people baffle me, but I'll bet you're the first ones that come screaming like little third graders to protect you when evil happens, because we all know you will not protect yourselves or us either. Go away. In your search for tolerance and kumbaya lifestyle you're going to get the rest of us killed. They are dangerous people and you are helping them and you're giving them a pass for their actions and encouraging them to continue with impunity. Some of us are awake.

    • ziontruth

      "Are these protesters that are siding with the radicals (and that is what they are doing) so fearful that we are going to make them mad?"

      Fear is only a partial explanation. It is there, hence the Leftists' penchant for blaspheming any religion except Islam, but the intensity of the Left's positive support for Islamic imperialism goes beyond mere fear. Here are two articles, one recent and one older, but both doing a stellar job in explaining the Unholy Alliance:

      Jean-Jacques Jihad, by Andrew McCarthy.

      The Stupid Left vs. the Satanic Left, by Steven Plaut (who ocassionally writes for FPM as well).

      • John

        Wow Ziontruth. Thanks for sending these. Some terrific info. Blessings.

        • ziontruth

          You're welcome.

  • sflbib

    "But to expend equal resources investigating both groups on the question of crime would be a colossal waste."

    Not only a waste but it would render investigations ineffective since resources would be spread thin; but then again, that's the goal of the Left since it doesn't believe there is such a thing as a legitimate government investigation.

  • Reason_For_Life

    Supporting Peter King will bring nothing but embarrassment to Frontpagemag. Peter King is a low grade moron who has demonstrated his stupidity on numerous occasions. His latest effort being that of advocating a ban on all guns within 1000 ft of a public official in response to the murder of a judge and the serious wounding of a congresswoman. The insane consequences of such a ban went unrecognized by the man Frontpage is touting as a savior.

    Indoctrination and the inculcation of terrorist values does unquestionably occur in Muslim communities to a far greater degree than in other religious communities. That is why you don't want a world class idiot running the investigation.

    • Jim_C

      "Indoctrination and the inculcation of terrorist values does unquestionably occur in Muslim communities to a far greater degree than in other religious communities. That is why you don't want a world class idiot running the investigation."

      I wholeheartedly agree. I don't know that I'd call him an "idiot," so much as a typical grandiose showboater on the Hill. He didn't want a public investigation of the 9/11 attacks that killed 3000 people, but now he seems to want to put Muslim-American communities "on notice." Given that law enforcement already monitors this stuff (King cites Obama adminstration officials' statements as being a pretext for these hearings) I don't know what he hopes to accomplish, here.

      • Reason_For_Life

        King made an idiot of himself already on an unrelated topic.

        “Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has introduced HR 607, the ‘Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011,’ which has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee (which handles telecommunications legislation). The bill would create a nationwide Public Safety broadband network using the so-called ‘D-Block’ of spectrum in the 700 MHz range for Public Safety use. But to pay for it, he wants to sell off 420-440 MHz, currently heavily used by the military, satellites and Amateur Radio operators.”

        Our entire national radar defense uses the frequencies that he proposed to sell. You can't make this stuff up.

        Here are the gruesome details:
        http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/03/10/good-luck-w…

        This guy is dangerously stupid.

  • Maggie

    There is no such thing as Islamaphobia.
    A "phobia" is something that isn't real.
    The ideology of Islam, is real.

    • Jim_C

      No, a "phobia" is a fear. "Arachnaphobia" is a fear of spiders. Spiders are real. "Claustrophobia" is a fear of closed spaces. Closed spaces are real.

      You probably mean the fear is irrational. So is "Islamophobia." Be wary. Be vigilant. But be strong. The entire purpose of terrorism is not to create fear–but to get you to ACT out of fear. That we must never do.

  • Chezwick_Mac

    Just out of curiosity, Jim, would you agree that the Left's use of the accusation of "racism" to silence the Right today is not dissimilar to McCarthy's use of the accusation of "Communist" to silence the Left in the early 50s?

    • Jim_C

      Sure, it can be, though racism is an attitude where Left-ism is a political stance. But what are we talking about? We've come a long way from the open racism of even my childhood, but whether we're talking the euphemism "State's rights," the massive switch of Southern Democrats to the Republican party during Civil Rights, Lee Atwater's tactics, or some of the uglier things we hear about President Obama, it's hard to deny racism is alive and well on the Right despite the fact that it's been shamed into secrecy.

      Racism is tricky because it means different things to different people, though. I don't think most people want to think of themselves as racist, though I think we all harbor prejudices. I don't think Juan Williams is a racist–but what he said was, at bottom, racist.

  • Anthony

    The hearings are ovedue by years. No other "religion" is committed to overthrow the United States. Individual muslims may be quite harmless, but the politico-religious system they adhere to contains the imperative to subjugate the non-believers politically. Islam and the Constitution of the U.S. are incompatible, any informed mind knows this; it is only the liars and demagogues who throw smoke on the unawares and ignorant to blurr the isues. Does a Muslim want to postrate five times a day and pray to his god? Fine, be my guest. But if the Muslim wants to "impose" his believe system via political force, or the sword, I have all the right to resist him and attempt to stop him in his efforts. What's wrong with the "thinkers" of this nation, do they not know what has been transpiring int the Muslim world for the last 1400 years? The stealth jihad being conducted in our great country MUST be stopped by all means; we cannot allow these 7th century barbarians to bring and end to our great nation and civilization!

    • rib/eve

      3 years ago a study or poll was done and found that 10% of the Muslim population HERE in the USA thought that suicide bombing was acceptable in some cases.

      My point is that individual muslims can be very dangerous as a matter of fact it is what they specialize in.

  • rib/eve

    Let's see you can't speak about the atrocities that Muslim's are committing in the name of "Allah" because the youths of that religion might get snarky about it and start retaliating physically. You know maybe a little rioting or kill a person here and there.

    How dare we suggest that it have to do with the religious beliefs of the Muslim faith. Why when looking at the data there is no link between gender, age or profession of the killers.

    In fact all they have in common is their faith.

  • Kathleen

    I pray Americans are starting to realize how our intelligence is insulted on a daily basis and to what degree we have allowed those with sinister motives to silence our voices.

    This is not Denmark, France, or Germany and we should not and will not allow Muslims to intimidate us by threats of violence such as they exhibited in the above-named countries or by Muslims playing the race/martyr card. If there is nothing to hide they should not fear light being shed on them or their activities.

    Congressman Ellison should be shedding tears for the thousands of Americans killed at the hands of Muslims and does not receive one ounce of sympathy from me for crying over one Muslim who just happened to be included in a long list of victims. What I find sad is the fact that Ellison has sworn to protect and defend all Americans and collects a salary and generous benefits from American tax dollars, yet his total dedication is obviously to only those who share his faith.

  • BS77

    Could be radical and moderate are really the same?

  • wldbil

    Nice job Mr. Flynn it never ceases to amaze me how people can so blatently ignore the facts even though they are right there in front of them…
    We have a serious and potentially catastrophic proble with Jihadists in this counrty, that fact should be obvious to all…even casual observers….

  • joel

    The author says'"Pretending for social harmonys sake" that one religion is the same as another… I believe this is a typical PC statement,evading the true reason for the backlash against the hearings: the atheistic marxist/liberal/islamist axis goal to exterminate the Judeo/Christian ethic,seen to be the creator of capitalism. The great 20th century poet,W B Yeats said in his poem,"The Second Coming", "the best lack all conviction,while the worst are filled with passionate intensity". The best being Fox news,the worst being msnbc,cnn… Both are unwilling to shine the light of scrutiny on the koran that Brigitte Gabriel says preaches jihad on the infidels…Fox gives more air time to islamists than truthsayers like robert Spencer.

  • http://NO lagu simon

    Iam from sudan
    god blas

  • Jack

    The only thing I have to say in regards to Rep. Kings Inquiry is; "WHAT TOOK SO LONG" realize from what direction the wind is Blowing.

  • Amused

    The "King Hearings " will be a patrhetic farce , theatre for the masses . More political than usefull . Courage ? Oh really , when the actual authorities on islam in this country , that is AMERICANS , who have done the EARNEST investigation into islam and have come to the RIGHT CONCLUSION , are not invited to these hearings . King has ALREADY BACKED DOWN from inviting folks like Spencer , Geller , Hirsi , Bridgette etc . Why ? ….FEAR of loss of political credibility and VOTES .His excuses for this are already sounding contrite . Ahh yes , we will "study the causes of the radicalization process " , when everyone already knows ….IT'S THE RELIGION STUPID !!! . SSSSHHHHHHHH- but dont tell nobody .

  • Amused

    So sit back …..and enjoy THE SHOW . Nothing will be accomplished , true awareness of islam its ethos , intents and ultimate goal , will remain in the domain , of those , who at great personal risk , speak the TRUTH about islam , neverminding the social or POLITICAL consequences of their stands . I thought King really had something here , until he made it quite clear by his actions , that he will allow his political career to come ahead of his country .Oh , but we have no problem trashing fellow Americans , accusing the Pres ., teachers , unions , -traitors , marxist , communists , along with fallacoius insults , but oh "lets not get the muslims too pissed off . " We've already let organizations like CAIR domiate and influence the narrative of just what will be said at these delusionary hearings . For muslims it will be "buisiness as usual

  • Reason_For_Life

    I said before that Peter King was a bleeding idiot, well here he goes again, this time on a technical subject upon which he is even more ignorant than he is about Islam:
    http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/03/10/good-luck-w…

    Keep backing this pathetic moron and you'll go down in flames with him.

    Here are the basics:

    “Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has introduced HR 607, the ‘Broadband for First Responders Act of 2011,’ which has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee (which handles telecommunications legislation). The bill would create a nationwide Public Safety broadband network using the so-called ‘D-Block’ of spectrum in the 700 MHz range for Public Safety use. But to pay for it, he wants to sell off 420-440 MHz, currently heavily used by the military, satellites and Amateur Radio operators.”

    That's right, this twit didn't even know what the frequencies that he proposed to sell were used for! Our entire radar defense system uses them! And you trust this jerk with national security?

    Now do you still think that I was wrong to tell you to stay away from King?