Religious and civil rights groups say the hearings headed by Republican Rep. Peter T. King will demonize Muslim Americans. King remains unmoved.
A coalition of 51 religious and civil rights groups is calling on congressional leaders to stop upcoming hearings on Muslim extremism in the U.S. or have the investigation refocused to include other hate groups.
But King remained unmoved. Asked whether he would respond to a letter Muslim Advocates sent to House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), King said: “I don’t believe it warrants an answer…. I am too busy preparing for the hearings.”
King appears to have Boehner’s support. Michael Steel, a Boehner spokesman, said the speaker would not respond to the letter from Muslim Advocates. “Rep. King is chairman of the Homeland Security Committee,” Steel said.
