Who would have thought that my early childhood experience in a Japanese-American internment camp during World War II would offer such useful insight, sixty-five years later, in determining the direction America is headed? In reflecting on Thursday's hearings on Muslim Americans, planned by Congressman Peter King (R-N.Y.), I feel like a mirror is being held up to my life, giving value to lessons learned as a child.
Make no mistake. Growing up in internment camp Amache in Colorado was no joy ride -- just look at the pictures. We were treated like cattle in those camps. Never mind the fact that we were born in America. Never mind the fact that we were patriotic Americans and law-abiding citizens. Never mind the fact that we were constructively contributing to the American economy. Despite all this, hundreds of thousands of Americans suddenly became the enemy at the height of the war, with no cause, no crime, and no constitutional protection.
We look back now, as a nation, and we know this was the wrong reaction. We look back now and know that this was a result of "race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership." We look back now and know that an entire ethnicity was said to be, and ultimately considered, the enemy. We know that internment occurred because few in Washington were brave enough to say "no."
We know all this, and yet our country is now, within my lifetime, repeating the same mistakes from our past. The interned four-year old in me is crying out for a course correction so that we do not do to others what we did unjustly to countless Japanese-Americans.
This time, instead of creating an ethnic enemy, Congressman King is creating a religious enemy. Because of prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of Republican leadership, King is targeting the entire Muslim-American community. Similar to my experience, they are become increasingly marginalized and isolated by our policies.
Never mind the fact that many were born in America and have no allegiance to their ancestors' native homeland. Never mind the fact that they are patriotic Americans and law-abiding citizens. Never mind the fact that they are constructively contributing to the American economy. Irrespective of all this, millions of Americans have become the new enemy, with no cause and no crime.
There is no question that a congressional hearing, which targets an entire religion, is morally and strategically wrong-headed. First, it is un-American. This is not the America that I know and have helped build as a life-long public servant. The America that I know has always provided refuge for those fleeing persecution, from early settlers to recent refugees. The America that I know, furthermore, does not hate and discriminate base on race, religion or creed.
Second, it is counterproductive. Congressman King is undermining his own objective. In hosting these hearings, King, as chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, has declared, erroneously, that the Muslim-American community does not partner actively enough with law-enforcement officials to prevent potential acts of violence. Despite the offensive and fallacious nature of King's concern, given extensive evidence that contradicts his claim, the Homeland Security chairman's strategy makes future partnerships unpalatable.
In one fell swoop of his discriminatory brush, King, in his apparent attempt to root out radicalization, marginalizes an entire American minority group, making enemies of them all. To add insult to injury, King has quipped (again, speciously) that America has too many mosques and that extremists run 80 percent of them. We can only hope that Rep King does not completely undermine all the goodwill established across this country between Muslim Americans and law enforcement officials. You can be certain that few will want to work with King going forward.
Don't get me wrong. I support the Homeland Security Committee examining "radicalization" in this country, provided it is a comprehensive review, not a discriminatory one that targets only one subgroup of America. I support the committee examining "violent extremism" in this country, including an examination of militias and the 30,000-plus gun-related deaths occurring each year. I support a committee chair that is keen to keep our homeland secure.
This is not the case with King. These hearings do little to keep our country secure and do plenty to increase prejudice, discrimination and hate. I thought we learned a lesson or two from my internment camp experience in Colorado. I hope I am not proven wrong.
Rep. Michael Honda (D-Calif.) is Senior Democratic Whip and member of House Budget and Appropriations Committees. This article was first published on Washington Post's "On Faith". Follow Rep Honda on Facebook and Twitter.
Follow Rep. Mike Honda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/repmikehonda
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The REALLY freaky ones are those rabble-rousing Quakers. Pacifists, my foot. Have you ever attended a Friends Meeting? There's no organization. They sit around silently -- plotting about who knows what -- until one of them feels "moved" enough to blurt out a comment. Obviously, it's all code and they've got something big up their sleeve. Quakers haven't done much since the Civil War. After 150 years or so of silence, isn't it likely they're ready to make another move? It's always the quiet ones that surprise you.
Speaking of subversive, secretive, anti-social fanatics who refuse to assimilate... Don't even get me started on those Amish and Mennonites. Talk about access to fertilizer and flying under the radar.
Rep. King, please look into these other potentially dangerous religious groups during your hearings. Better safe than sorry and we might as well get it all out of the way at once, right?
Love you as my congress and have been a fan fro yrs. As a Persian American, I have seen the NASTIEST side of America ever since 911. I sure can't possibly be shocked is certain Muslim Americans have become more radical, I mean HOW COULDN'T THEY? I am an atheist, I wear NO hejab or hang out in any mosques or look or act Muslim by any means. I have heard and seen in two occasion horrific discrimination on myself, my friends, and specifically on those who LOOK /dress as a Muslim. Americans need to take Psych 101 in order to realize how you could create psychos out of discrimination, there are always people out there who are very vulnerable and could crack, everyone can only take so much.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fm0_7jVqcE&feature=related
Who thinks that we would be safer if we pretended the problem didn't exist?
And no one is proposing that Muslims be locked up. Quite the contrary, all the non-Democrats made sure to emphasize that they made a distinction between Muslims and terrorists who are radicalized Muslims. The Democrats had a litany of complaints that failed to make the distinction.
We've had a number of reports of young muslim men recruited into terrorist organizations. It's a real problem, but if people can't discuss it because it might appear to condemn an entire group, how can anyone determine how serious the problem is and if anything can be done to help counteract it? (and no, I'm not talking about putting all young muslims under suspicion, but about conteracting ideologies, just as we all seek to counteract other harmful ideologies.) Provided the discussion is on that specific problem, it's a far, far cry from condemning an entire religious group.
Who thinks that we would be safer if we pretended the problem didn't exist?
And no one is proposing that America be locked up. Quite the contrary, all the non-Democrats made sure to emphasize that they made a distinction between Liberator and Conqueror.
On the other hand, I'm not saying that we should ignore this. I absolutely support watching the hearings with concern to make sure they really are focusing on real issues; however, jumping straight to "internment camps" is really not helpful, IMO.
His speech was halted almost cancelled and rudely disrupted and interrupted by a well organized group of Muslim students who were pro-Palestinian and assumed to support Hamas and other antAmerican, anti-Israel radical Muslims.
It is assumed these students (who are now under investigation by the Orange county DA) belong to a local Orange County mosque. I normally don't support anything Peter King supports. We are at the opposite ends of the political spectrum. But, radical Muslims have expoited the freedoms in this country to push their religious dogma and hatred of Israel and in many cases the U.S. with almost zero push back. I hope that King investigates this Orange county Mosque these so-called students attend to find out if they were encouraged in any way, in their assualt on the Bill of Rights and freedom of speech on of all places a University campus. I suspect King will find lots of this anti-Israel and anti-US venom spewing from Muslim mosques around the country.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fm0_7jVqcE&feature=related
Watch all 4 segments.
I would like to know what Peter King and his friends have been doing to "combat the radicalization of American White-Christian Youth into Christian-White-Supremacist Terrorist Organizations" that have publicly stated their aim to destroy America and replace it with a Bible-based government.
I would also like to know how that sentence is any different from his opening statements in his commitee.
Well?
The terrorists are the only ones that will suffer interment, preferably with President Obama's choice to retain Gitmo.