On Thursday, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) will hold his much-anticipated first hearing on terrorism and U.S. Muslims, or, as it's officially titled, "The Extent of Radicalization in the American Muslim Community and that Community’s Response."
In advance of the hearing, King is making the media rounds, and he made a telling comment to the New York Daily News over the weekend:
Muslims, he said, have a “misguided” belief that they were victimized by a backlash of hatred after the Sept. 11 attacks. The congressman argues the hate they feel is imagined, and Muslims need to put aside any fears they have towards official America and police.
"I think a lot of that is a self-imposed fear they have, and that seemed to put them underground, put then in a sense of non-cooperation," King said. "I'm hoping that the hearing will bring this out, and encourage people in the Muslim community to come forward and realize that they should cooperate."