"We have too many churches and synagogues in the United States." Imagine what a national outrage would ensue if such a statement was uttered by an American official. Yet one ponders the conspicuous silence when Congressman Peter King (R-NY) warned us that "we have too many mosques in this country."
In a recentinterview with The Politico, Rep. King said, "Unfortunately, we have too many mosques in this country. There are too many people who are sympathetic to radical Islam. We should be looking at them more carefully. We should be finding out how we can infiltrate. [...] King added, "I think there's been a lack of full cooperation from too many people in the Muslim community. And it's a real threat here in this country."
King's Islamophobia represents a persistent pattern involving unrelenting attacks by self-appointed Arab or Muslim experts permeating the airwaves, media, and schools. In 2004, King claimed the vast majority of American Muslim community leaders are "an enemy living amongst us" and that "no (American) Muslims" cooperate in the war on terror. King serves on the Select Committee on Homeland Security and the International Relations Committee. King made that claim February 9th on Sean Hannity's nationally-syndicated radio program. While promoting his novel "Veil of Tears," King complained that "no (American) Muslims are cooperating" with law enforcement officials to combat terrorism. He added: "I would say, you could say that 80-85 percent of mosques in this country are controlled by Islamic fundamentalists. Those who are in control. The average Muslim, no, they are loyal, but they don't work, they don't come forward, they don't tell the police [inaudible]."
When questioned by Hannity whether he was really claiming that 85 percent of mosques in America are "ruled by the extremists," King said: "Yes. And I can get you the documentation on that from experts in the field. Talk to a Steve Emerson, talk to a (Daniel) Pipes, talk to any of those. They will tell you. It's a real issue. I'll stand by that number of 85 percent. This is an enemy living amongst us."
Contrary to King's assertions, Muslim leaders have worked diligently with law enforcement. In New Jersey our leaders have collaborated in most productive ways with local and state entities-- disseminating information unto and from our besieged community. Statements by New Jersey elected officials reputedly affirm the cooperative relative between Muslim leaders and law enforcement agencies. Whether it is Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) or even our Governor, all have attested to the valuablecontributions of American Muslims to the vibrancy, safety and progress of our great State. Officials from the FBI and Department of Justice regularly interact with our community leaders and, unlike Mr. King, visit our mosques and learn firsthand what is taking place.
It is pure hate speech and defamatory rhetoric when an elected official speaks so suspiciously of America's Muslim leaders and ordinary Muslims, including those in his own district. Furthermore, the media silence about such virulent rhetoric filters, or better, refracts through the prejudice of bigots in the media audience, who seek to turn the war against terror into a war against all of Islam and thus against all American Muslims. This hatemongering is most evident in the unprecedented public outrage against plans to convent a vacant warehouse in Rockaway, NJ into a mosque. Rejection was disguised by concerns about traffic and loss of tax ratable. But, and has been fully documented in recent public hearings, more than one person unabashedly told the Board that they simply don't want Muslims to have a place of worship in Rockaway. The hall, filled with close to 200 opponents, erupted in approving applause. Others, while claiming tolerance, recommended Muslims build the mosque in an area 'away from the rest of us." Sadly, we now have Rudy Giuliani, a Republican presidential candidate who has hired bigots such as King and Daniel Pipes as national security advisors. Mr. Giuliani has clearly demarked his political allegiance to Israel. Both advisors support racial profiling of Muslims and Arabs. Pipes has made a career of attacking Arab and Muslim Americans. He has even promoted the idea calling for the internment of American citizens of Arab origin. Arab and Muslim voters will have to decide if Giuliani is fit to be President of the United States or a lobbyist for Israel.
We call upon President Bush, the Republican National Committee, and indeed all people of conscience to repudiate these baseless accusations and reject the growing manipulation of legitimate fears of terrorism to marginalize and stigmatize an entire community. We call upon Rep. King to immediately and unequivocally apologize to the American Muslim community and to seek information from unbiased sources. Further, we ask that Mr. King meets with Muslim leaders to learn more about Muslims in America. Ignorance can no longer justify hate speech and bigotry should never so avariciously enrich a hateful Congressman.
Aref Assaf, PhD, is President of the American Arab Forum. He is a frequent commentator on Arab-American and Islamic affairs. Reach him at aref@aafusa.org.
www.aafusa.org
Dr. Aref Assaf (PhD, Political Science and International Law) is president and founder of American Arab Forum, AAF, a non partisan think-tank specializing in advocating positive image of the American Arab community. Dr. Assaf was also a founding member of ADC-NJ Chapter and has served as its media chair for five years before serving as its president in 2004.
Dr. Assaf serves on and is a member of several state, national boards and academic organizations. These includes the American Society of Political Science and the American Society of International Law. Dr. Assaf is currently serving a second three-year term as a member of the New Jersey Governor's Ethnic Advisory Council. His selection was the first of its kind for an Arab American to serve on this statewide council.
Dr. Assaf writes frequently in several New Jersey papers about contemporary American Arab issues and perspectives. He has appeared on many television programs such as CBS' Sunday Morning, CNN in addition to metro TV stations. Dr. Assaf is available for speaking engagements without any honorarium.
Arab, Moslem or any other community does not have to prove anything to anyone. Now, the proper way to approach this is to sue that idiot King for instigating hatred and also demand removing him from office. That has to be done publicly. It would be beneficial to state as an advice that such demand should be issued not only by your organizaiton but also by the Nation of Islam. I would say that if Mr.King does not like Moslems he does not like ALL Moslems and that should be clear to all of us.
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Mark Sashine (42 articles, 19 quicklinks, 227 diaries, 3219 comments)
on Tuesday, October 2, 2007 at 1:33:43 PM
but there are too many Americans (and Australians) in Iraq.
And there are too few American Presidents that have been impeached because too few congressional representatives have perceived a need to uphold their personal oaths to support and defend the constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic.
Perhaps, this secular humanist thinks, an America that had more Muslims and fewer Christians than the current America might be an America that would find it harder to elect a fundamentalist or an extremist of either faith.
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Brett Paatsch (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 17 diaries, 773 comments)
on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 9:44:50 AM
"Are there to many Muslims in America?" by Aref Assaf
Yes, Mr. Aref Abbas, in today's America even one mosque is too many or more correctly even one Muslim is too many. America today is where Spain was just prior to the Inquisition and the forced convertion of Muslims (and Jews) or......... It's time for ALL Muslims to leave the United States, including the Nation of Islam. They should leave America before it is too late. Let Christian America fight it out between the blacks, the whites and the latinos. Leave just like the 11 apostles, the disciples and the Mother of Jesus did on the advice of no other than Christ himself.
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syed mahdi (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 117 comments)
on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 at 2:48:15 PM
We have too many Zionists in America whose loyalty is to Israel and not to America especially in the Federal Government, the corporate media, and academic institutions.
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Ty Shlackman (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 534 comments)
on Thursday, October 4, 2007 at 4:07:53 PM
