…this week, despite his political affinity for conservatives and Republicans, Mr. [Suhail] Khan has found himself indignant and appalled. Representative Peter T. King, a conservative Republican from Long Island, has convened hearings into what he says is the radicalization of American Muslims and the supposed refusal to cooperate with law enforcement officials.
If these hearings are meant to draw some bright line between “good” and “bad” Muslims, between “moderates” and “radicals,” then that point has been lost on Mr. Khan and many of the Muslims who work on Capitol Hill. Republican and Democrat, Sunni and Shia, convert and born Muslim, they echo a common revulsion.
“It’s saddening that faith has become a partisan issue,” Mr. Khan said. “It’s disappointing that some people have attempted to exploit fears and real threats to demonize a whole faith community.”
“When we look at the history of our country, and how groups like Catholics, Jews, Mormons and Japanese-Americans were the subject of demonization, our country ultimately rose above that.â€
These groups were not associated with attacks on their fellow citizens in the name of their religion. It is time to stop sacrificing our national security because we fear someone will be offended. If American muslims are really interested in embracing the values of this country, they should be leading the effort to root out the causes and sources or radicalization, not decrying the effort ot identify it.
If American Muslims truly do put the best interests of their country above all, then they should help to root out and eliminate the Muslim radicals whose aim it is to kill everyone who stands opposed to them, including fellow Muslims. It’s one thing to talk about doing it, but it’s something else again to actually do it. Their track record so far has been less than stellar.