In Defense Of Peter King's Congressional Hearings

In a March 4th Huffington Post commentary and at the March 6th ‘I am a Muslim march’ in NY, American music giant Russell Simmons made the following defamatory comments about NY Rep. Peter King and his decision to hold Congressional hearings on American-Muslim radicalization: 

“The deep irony is that Rep. King has begun polluting our national conversation with his hypocritical hate mongering at just the moment that the Arab world’s secular revolution has created a unique opportunity for strengthened cultural ties. Maybe that’s not a coincidence. Politicians like Rep. King make a living playing on people’s fears and misconceptions. It makes their job easier when we view all Muslims as terrorists out for blood, instead of possible partners in a shared future…Having witnessed first-hand how conversation between Sinn Féin and the British directly led to peace, Rep King more than anyone should know that the best resolutions are always reached through honest dialogue, not demonization and divisiveness. .. Let’s not let Rep. King get away with it. We need to hear from politicians who are looking to bring people together, not needlessly push them apart. If we’re truly worried about America’s future, we need to look at hate mongering politicians like Rep King, not our Muslim fellow citizens who reject violence and extremism and simply look to be part of this great American fabric.” (Link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-simmons/peter-king-the-clown_b_831494.html)

It  is obvious that Simmons’ comments reflect the very criticism he makes of Rep. King…Simmons is “polluting the national conversation” and is a “hypocritical hate monger.” He slams Rep. King as a politician who “makes a living playing on people’s fears and misconceptions.”  But, Simmons is doing a good job of trying to influence the public conversation with his inflammatory rhetoric. He must be aware that he is being divisive and his accusations draw attention away from the public discussion on the danger of home-grown American-Muslim terrorism and political Islamic Fundamentalism in America. And Simmons is not alone in this intimidating tactic that is being used to delegitimize Rep. King and others speaking out about the threats Americans are facing. The voices trying to silence these Americans are growing louder and more frequent as more citizens speak openly of the political and social dangers that Islamic Fundamentalism brings to Western civilization. It would be a grave mistake if we allow this finger pointing to be a distraction or to stop these hearings.

What is quite true in Simmons’ comments is that the passions are being driven by fear.  On one side, there is the fear experienced by American Muslims that they are being stigmatized, seen as possible terrorists and treated as guilty before proven innocent; that King is conducting a ‘witch hunt’ against only Muslims; that ‘Islamophobia’ and bigotry are taking hold of Americans; and the quality and purpose of Muslim life in America is being jeopardized by these hearings and the majority of Americans calling for this kind of inquiry.  Maybe some ‘moderate’ Muslims are also afraid to speak up for fear of radical retaliation, but that goes with the Muslim territory. Needless to say, there is a great deal that American-Muslims are afraid of, and rightfully so.

On the other hand, there are the fears that non-Muslim Americans have and are expressing, including Rep. King’s NY constituents. These fears include the recognition that ‘moderates’ are believers in the Koran as written 1400 years ago which calls for the death of all non-believers; that any criticism of Islam is blasphemy and punishable by death; that Muslims want everyone to be Muslim and religious tolerance is their way only; that the Koran authorizes the annihilation of the Jewish people and Israel; that women are the property of the men in their lives and the Koran justifies ‘honor killing;’ that ‘Sharia Law’ punishes homosexual behavior, pre-marital sex, adultery and marriage to an Infidel by stoning to death; that as Muslim populations grow in neighborhoods, so grows Muslim intimidation of Non-Muslim residents and police security; that beheading is a traditional form of killing that is still widely practiced; that four, five and six year old boys are forced into camps for Jihad training; that our democratic principles are being used against us; that the uprising in the Muslim world will bring demands for ‘Sharia Law’ in countries that have been secular for decades; the fear of a huge Mosque in the 9/11 area that has been nicknamed ‘Mecca-on-the-Hudson’; and the fear of ‘Sharia Law’ creeping into the courts as being witnessed in the UK and other European countries…just to name a few of these fears.  The added fact is that this is just the moment in time that the Muslim world’s ideological revolution has created a unique opportunity for radicals to strengthened terrorist ties around the world, including the US. These fears are genuine and are based on facts, not fiction.

Americans want to believe that ‘moderate’ Muslims exist and that they love America too, the country they have chosen to live in. But the verbal attacks by people like Simmons make it difficult to believe. Non-Muslim Americans are justified in asking American-Muslims to be honest partners in helping to root out the sources of home-grown Islamic terrorists; to help find the dangerous individuals and groups looming in their communities and Mosques who are planning attacks against Americans; to stop demonizing Rep. King and others who are attempting to have an open and honest public dialogue; to be tolerant of other religions; and for individuals and Muslim organizations to do more than just ‘say’ they reject violence and simply want to be part of the great American fabric. They must speak out and condemn the very components of the Koran that preach hatred and murder. That would be a true sign of a ‘moderate’ Muslim.

Simmons and others are calling it “shameful” that Rep. King and members of Congress are going to hold these hearings. It would be a far greater shame if Americans let ‘politically correct’ leaders and spokespeople for Islamic Fundamentalism continue to demonize Rep. King and to pressure or prevent these hearings.