King sets March 10 for Muslim hearings
By TOM BRUNENewsday
February 26, 2011
WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Peter King's congressional hearing on homegrown Muslim terrorism will take place March 10, he said Friday.
King (R-Seaford), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said two American Muslims with family members who became radicalized will testify. He declined to identify the two.
But King said another witness will be Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, a physician and founder of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy. Jasser, a Muslim, has criticized U.S. Muslim leaders as not being cooperative enough with law enforcement, King said.
On the other side, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), a converted Muslim, will testify along with another member of Congress whom King would not name.
King said Democrats say they'll invite Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca to testify about the cooperation of American Muslim leaders.
Civil libertarians and Muslim groups have criticized the hearing for focusing solely on Muslims. King said the hearing aims to show that "overall, Muslims are good Americans but their leadership are not doing what they should be doing."