King hearings stir emotions

Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has the great responsibility to keep Americans safe while not demonizing the entire Muslim population ["Peter King's balancing act," Editorial, Feb. 27].

To achieve this, he should familiarize himself with the practices of violence and terrorism existing in the Islamic countries. Pakistan has been the most strident with its outrageous blasphemy laws, targeting Christians and Ahmadi Muslims.

The recent assassination of Gov. Salman Taseer ["Assassin bodyguard," News, Jan. 6] is a perfect example. Taseer's bodyguard, Mumtaz Qadri, killed him because Taseer rejected the notion that the punishment for blasphemy is death. A group representing more than 500 Muslim "scholars" praised Qadri's actions, and several lawyers offered Qadri their services free of charge. A procession of thousands marched in his favor, declaring him a hero and advocating to free him.

Instead of indiscriminately labeling Muslims, King should weed out those who agree with extremist philosophy. Muslim-Americans must help King by standing up against such extremism.

Rashid M. Alladin

Syosset
 

I have only one question for Peter King in regard to his upcoming investigations into "homegrown terrorism": Was the Irish Republican Army a terrorist group? Until he can answer that question in light of his support for that organization, he is not the right person to inquire into the motives of any other group of Americans.

Ann Kemler

Long Beach