Rep. King Calls More Anti-Muslim Hearings

Latest Round to Focus on Somali-Americans as 'Threat to Homeland Security'

Rep. Peter King (R – NY) has called today for a third round of “hearings” probing whether American Muslims are becoming “radicalized.” The new hearings will center on Somali-Americans, and the Somali militant faction al-Shabaab.

Conveniently coming just a day after US officials started presenting new claims that al-Shabaab is secretly in league with al-Qaeda, the hearings will probe if Somali-Americans are being recruited by the group and are a “growing threat to our homeland security.”

Rep. King has been pushing the hearings all year, claiming that America’s Muslim minority poses a threat to the country. The move has sparked serious concern that it will fuel yet more discrimination against Muslims.

Though King insisted that the hearings would be “fair,” he has also insisted that the United States has “too many mosques” and repeatedly presented Muslims in general as a threat to national security.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.