New York, March 07: American Muslims have staged a rally in New York to protest against a US politician’s planned congressional hearing on “radicalization” of Islam in the country.
An alliance of over 100 nonprofit and governmental institutes rallied on Sunday in the Time Square, and denounced the scheduled hearing proposed by US Republican Congressman Peter King as “racist” move aimed at demonizing Muslims, the Associated Press reported.
Demonstrators were carrying signs saying “Today I am a Muslim, too” as they listed to a speech by Feisal Abdul Rauf, a Muslim cleric, who has been one of the staunch supporters of plans to build a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City.
Another group held a rally in support of King’s hearing, which is slated for Thursday, March 10 in Washington.
King, who is also the chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, has defended the controversial hearing, saying the move is not aimed at tarnishing the image of the Muslim community and would mainly focus on what he has referred to as “radical Islam.”
However, human rights groups and civil libertarians have labeled the hearing as modern day McCarthyism, arguing that targeting a whole Muslim community in the name of security of the country is divisive and demonizing.
Fifty-one Muslim and non-Muslim organizations have called on the US Congress not to hold the hearing, which is the first in a series of hearings on Muslim’s role in the US.
According to the Islamic Society of North America, there are currently between 6 and 8 million Muslims in the country.
Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, many Muslims have been the subject to discrimination, hate crimes, and racial profiling.
——–Agencies