On Thursday, March 10, 2011 Congressman Peter King, Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee held the first hearings into the “Radicalization of American Muslims.” The Congressman had assembled quite an array of witnesses. Two had male relatives (a son and a nephew) directly involved. According to these two men, their kin had been “radicalized” by Muslim acquaintances. One died in Somalia, the other committed murder in Arkansas. These fathers were quite obviously heartbroken and sought solace and answers.

The most articulate witness was Dr. M. Zudhi Jasser, an American born citizen, physician and an 11-year veteran (Lt Cmdr) of the U. S. Navy. He is also the founder and President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and a self-proclaimed “devout” Muslim. I listened carefully to the hearings, even the off-subject diatribe by Representatives Al Green and Sheila Jackson Lee, both Democrats from Texas, who railed against the Ku Klux Klan.

Jackson Lee was her usual obstreperous self, waving a copy of the Constitution and iterating and reiterating that the hearings violated the Constitution because the hearings singled out a group of people because of their religious beliefs. Congressman King did a professional job of keeping order and keeping the hearings on track. With this as background we can more closely scrutinize that which was said, surmised, bandied about and otherwise missed the point.

The point Mr. King tried to make was that American citizens who have converted to Islam in good faith have been and are becoming converts to “Radical” Islam and induced, seduced or in some fashion co-opted into the commission of violent crimes against America.

The only definition of “radical” presented was in the context of those followers of Islam who deviate from Islam’s “peaceful” foundation, go off tangentially to “Jihad” against all that is NOT Islam.

Islam by its very description is “radical” in the strict sense of the meaning of “radical” which is by definition, Fundamental, Basic. Here is an exhaustive list of synonyms for this use of “radical”:

basal, bottom, cardinal, constitutional, deep-seated, essential, foundational, inherent, innate, intrinsic, meat-and-potatoes, native, natural, organic, original, primal, primary,primitive, profound, thoroughgoing, underlying, vital

What does this meaning have to do with Islam? In a word, everything!

Islam teaches that it is the duty of every Muslim to persuade, proselytize every non-Muslim to recognize Allah as the one god and Muhammad as the one and foremost prophet. Any and all means of persuasion are permitted, including Conversion by the Sword. Another method to defend and advance Islam is the use of taqiyya or deception. The old lie and smile trick.

As I followed Dr. Jasser’s eloquent testimony, I wanted to believe him but I could not. He is a “devout” Muslim and therefore radical. He is obviously more learned than any of the other witnesses including the aforementioned Jackson Lee and Green.

Just as obviously, Congressman Steve Rothman, (D-NJ) displayed his ignorance when he played the Love Your Brothers and Sisters card when he stated, “Every day is a day to embrace our fellow Americans with tolerance, respect, and, indeed, love. Any action, including a congressional hearing, that would call into question the patriotism of any race, religion, or ethnicity is deeply offensive to me and hurtful to those being negatively stereotyped.”

No devout follower of Islam can possibly become a good American. Their very religion is anti-all-else-but-Islam. No one can have it both ways. You are either in or you’re out. How can a “devout” anybody claim to adhere to only some of the tenets of his religion and not all? It is plain impossible. It is tantamount to being a half-Christian or a half-Jew.

If Dr. Jasser had the moral courage to publicly proclaim that he does not adhere, in any fashion, to the concept of taqiyya, dhimmitude, conversion by the sword, could he still remain a devout Muslim? He could not; he would become an apostate; i.e. an infidel and likely to have a fatwa issued against him as was done against Salman Rushdie when he published his “The Satanic Verses” in 1988.

America is first and foremost a Christian Country which by our constitution must allow you to practice your faith undisturbed, provided your faith does not advocate the overthrow of America. Such an act will bring the wrath of God down upon you and yours.

Mr. King, keep up the good work! Sheila, Al and Philip, either be part of the solution rather than the problem or crawl back in your hole and pull it in after you. Dr. Jasser, you may be on the right track. I feel you are a righteous man struggling with the devil; you too cannot have it both ways. Lastly, God Bless Mr. Bledsoe and Mr. Bihi.

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