Is Political Gain at Root of Islamic Radicalization Hearings?

When we heard that Rep. Peter King (R-NY) convened hearings as chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security on  al-Qaeda’s activities among U.S. Muslims, the antenna went up. Remember the guilt by association of the McCarthy hearings?

In a recent, well-researched article in USA Today, David Gushee, ethicist at Mercer University, wrote, “His [King’s] hearings have the potential to inflame already tense relations between American Muslims and the rest of their fellow Americans.”

I recently stopped by a local mosque. The site is nothing more than office space in a strip mall. The center serves Los Gatos and the surrounding area. There I met a leading 20-year member of the local Muslim community. He holds a leadership position in a Silicon Valley high tech firm. He declined to be photographed or to divulge his name. The community desires to maintain a low profile.

When asked about the preference for anonymity, he referred to the recent killing of two Sikhs in Sacramento (probably mistaken for Muslims) and the recent alleged Tea Party protest in Southern California of a Muslim fundraising effort. It appears this Muslim community feels vulnerable to extremists.

We wondered if he and his colleagues were aware of the new congressional hearings. He proved not only aware but articulate about it. In consternation, he asked, “Do we seek integration or alienation?” He is convinced the hearings will produce a context of wholly unnecessary suspicion of Muslims.

Our interviewee noted that a person such as himself is as much an American citizen as anyone else. He wondered why his faith should be singled out when there exist extremists in many other bodies. He pointed to the reverence in Islam for Jesus, the central figure in the culture’s dominant faith. He remembered the horror of 9/11, but indicated that all nations (including his native Pakistan) have disasters, and we need to move on.

Later we spoke with the spiritual leader of the West Valley Muslim Association, Aluddin El-Bakri, the imam for Los Gatos and the surrounding area. Speaking with conviction about the congressional hearings, he pointed to the irony that the ferment for liberty in Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and other Muslim-dominant nations comes largely from people who look to the U.S. Constitution as their political ideal. Their purpose is not to engender a Taliban-style government.

It’s not a surprise that a House Committee designated to investigate terrorism might take a look at Islamic radicalism. But why not investigate extremists among gun owners, white supremacists, anti-immigrants, environmentalists, etc.? Does political gain lie at the root of King’s venture? 

We may hope that the committee calls to the witness stand those who can testify to the positive contributions flowing from American Islam. We may also hope that an unexpected consequence of the hearings will be increased dialogue between Muslims and others in our communities.