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March 9, 2011

Muslim Group Criticizes "Radicalization" Hearings 
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New York Republican Congressmember Peter King is set to open a
controversial hearing Thursday on the radicalization of the American
Muslim community. Critics have described the hearings as a modern-day
form of Mc Carthyism designed to stoke fear against American Muslims.
King has refused calls to broaden the hearing to examine right-wing
militias or any non-Muslim groups. Ahead of the hearing's first day,
Nihad Awad of the Council on American Islamic Relations said King is
scapegoating Muslims.

Nihad Awad: "This kind of hearing serves to stigmatize the American
Muslim community in the same way many people were stigmatized under the
Mc Carthy senator who singled out people and we're just looking at a
repeat by some people who's in authority and abusing that authority,
targeting a minority who might be unpopular because of propaganda and
stereotypes, and because of the political turmoil in the Muslim world.
He knows the Muslim community can be singled out, and I think he's just
exploiting this in an ugly fashion."



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