Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. US Hearing on Muslim Radicalization Under Way VOA News March 10, 2011 Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, begins hearings on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 10, 2011 Photo: AP Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, begins hearings on Capitol Hill in Washington, March 10, 2011 A key U.S. lawmaker is defending a controversial hearing on the threat posed by radicals in the American Muslim community. Republican Representative Peter King from the state of New York, the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, opened the hearing Thursday by labeling some of the criticism "hysteria." He also called the hearing a "logical response to the repeated and urgent warnings" from the White House about the attempts of al-Qaida to radicalize and recruit young Americans.  King has been heavily criticized for singling out Muslim Americans. In his opening remarks, he said there was nothing "radical or un-American" about the hearing. King's assertions were soon challenged by one of the hearing first witnesses - Democrat Keith Ellison, the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress. In emotional testimony, Ellison said he worried the hearing would only help blame the entire American Muslim community for the acts of individuals, calling such an approach wrong and ineffective. The committee also heard from two relatives of young men who embraced extremism, as well as Los Angeles County Sheriff Leroy Baca from California, who has praised Muslim groups in his area for helping law enforcement during investigations. One relative, a Somali American, told the committee about his nephew, who joined Islamic militants in Somalia and was killed there. The other says his son converted to Islam during college, and was later arrested for the shooting death of a U.S. soldier at a recruiting station in the central state of Arkansas. Another witness, Zuhdi Jasser, a doctor from the western state of Arizona, who is Muslim, testified that radicalization occurs over time, and that the root cause of the problem needs to be addressed. This is not the first time Congress has looked into homegrown terrorism. Senate and House lawmakers have held at least 20 hearings since 2006 that addressed the threat from radicalized Muslims, but none made Muslim terror the sole focus. Thursday's hearing is titled "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community's Response." U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has praised the Muslim community, saying its members have been crucial to "disrupting plots that otherwise might have occurred." There are about 7 million Muslims in the United States .