Chuck Hagel is a valued friend. As a result, it was profoundly disturbing to me and members of my community when some of his opponents attempted to make his appearances before Arab Americans an issue in his confirmation process.

WASHINGTON -- Following eight days of highly-charged hearings that highlighted the still-problematic role that race plays in North Carolina's criminal...

How the nation and our political leaders deal with members of Congress like Michele Bachmann and Allen West, who talk as if they are the reincarnation of Senator Joe McCarthy, is our next test.

I was born in the Displaced Persons camp of Bergen-Belsen in Germany in 1948. From the day I became a naturalized US citizen, I have been as much an American as anyone. It is depressingly disconcerting, therefore, to hear the cacophony of voices accusing the President of the United States of not being "American," of being somehow foreign.

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By marginalizing a religious minority, King is sending a dangerous message to the Muslim community and the entire populous that runs counter to the very foundation of our nation.

If Rep. King's hearings are to continue, which they should not, he should take an honest look at all forms of extremism -- not just that stemming from fundamentalist Islam.

Consistent with First Amendment values, congressional committees should not use their government power to target individuals or communities based on their religious beliefs.

Why has Congress not yet awoken to the fact that since 9-11 we have been sailing into a perfect storm? Here are just some of the turbulent winds blowing and pushing officials in the wrong direction.