Groups Protest Rep. Peter King's Next Round Of Muslim Radicalization Hearings

WESTBURY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Members of several New York organizations Tuesday decried the next round of hearings by Rep. Peter King on what he calls the radicalization of the Muslim-American community.

King, who heads the House Homeland Security Committee, has scheduled a Wednesday hearing in Washington focusing on radicalization in U.S. prisons. He said he plans to call several law enforcement experts to testify on recent examples of terrorist recruitment among inmates.

"This is a real concern; this is a real issue,'' King said in a telephone interview following a news conference by the group Long Island Neighbors for American Values. The group is a coalition of religious leaders and civic groups who contend King's hearings are fostering negative stereotypes.

WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reports: Islamic Leaders Want To Be A Part Of The Solution

"Unfortunately, these people are living in denial,'' King said of his foes. "Al-Qaida is attempting to recruit in our country and it is a reality we cannot afford to hide from.''

Among those speaking at the news conference Tuesday was an imam who works as a chaplain at a county jail on Long Island. Imam Isa Abdul Kareem, who said he converted to Islam, disputed King's contention that American Muslims have not done enough to cooperate with law enforcement, arguing there is zero tolerance for anyone attempting to harm Americans.

"If we found anyone in our community committing an act of terrorism, by the time the police got there the matter would be settled and there would be one less terrorist,'' he said.

"My committment is to America," Abdul Kareem told WCBS 880's Sophia Hall. "I'm not going to allow anyone to come from overseas to do anything to the country that I was born in."

Sister Jeanne Clark of Pax Christi Long Island, who said she has served time in jail for committing acts of civil disobedience, said King's focus on prisons was misdirected.

"Language is important,'' she said. "Prisoner, Muslim, radicalized terrorism. Saying these words together in a sentence instills fear and mistrust.''

Some of the same groups also protested in March, when King held the first hearing on the topic.

Leaders at the Islamic Center of Long Island have invited King to partake in an open discussion about Islam.

"We are all aware that a problem exists. Just singling out a single community, isolates that community, marginalizes that community and the community which could be part of the solution is not doing all it can to address the problem, " Farouk Kahn said. "It would be a lot better, a lot more productive, if we were part of the discussion, part of the solution, and part of developing a policy of how we can address the radicalization of not just the Muslims."

King said it has been impossible to work with those at the Islamic center, Hall reports.

The congressman said the next hearing after Wednesday will likely be held in late July and will focus on reports of Americans joining al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, a Yemen-based offshoot of al-Qaida that has been linked to attempted attacks on U.S. targets, including the foiled Christmas 2009 bombing of an airliner over Detroit and explosives-laden parcels found on cargo flights last year.

Do you think the hearings are making a difference? Should Peter King continue to hold them? Let us know below

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