Muslim hearings are wrong-headed
Jim D'Addario, right, chief executive of D'Addario & Co., gives Congressman Peter King a tour of the guitar-string plant in Farmingdale. Credit: Charles Eckert
It doesn't seem that Rep. Peter King (R-Seaford) is going to cancel or expand his hearings on what he calls "the radicalization" of the American Muslim community ["Muslim lawmaker will testify at King hearing," News, Feb. 9].
For those of us who would like to get beyond our fear of Muslims, there is a way. Each of us could find ways to get to know the people of the Muslim faith who are our neighbors here on Long Island.
Pax Christi, a Catholic organization dedicated to peacemaking, and other groups are gathering people, visiting mosques and educating ourselves about the Muslim faith. We meet parents who have lived in the United States for many years and are fearful that they and their children are labeled and seen as outcast and the enemy. This does not make for peace or security for anyone and weakens the fabric of our country.
We are hoping and praying that Rep. King will change his mind. In the meantime, we are trying to make a path leading to a growth in trust and understanding, and a diminishment of fear. We trust that the FBI and other security agencies are doing their job of discovering threats to our security from whatever source they come.
Sister Jeanne Clark
Editor's note: The writer is the coordinator of Pax Christi Long Island.
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