Rep. Peter King’s decision not to include some of the harshest non-Muslim critics of American Islam in his hearings on the radicalization of American Muslims next month is drawing the Long Island Republican -- long a prominent critic himself -- fire from his right.
King is typically criticized from the left for making the case that, for instance, 85% of American mosques are controlled by “extremist leadership,” but his decision, first reported in POLITICO, to take testimony primarily from Muslims drew the ire of Steve Emerson, whose Investigative Project has long labeled a range of American Muslim leaders radicals -- and who expected to be called at the hearing.
Emerson and King, King said in a statement, were scheduled to meet this afternoon to go over plans for the hearing, whose preparations Emerson was assisting. Instead they’re exchanging barbs.
Emerson penned an aggrieved, ten paragraph letter to King today, suggesting he was the victim of McCarthyism:
“Your interview with Politico announcing that I am not going to be a witness came as a shock to me especially in light of the fact that I have been told over and over and over again that no witnesses had been selected. I have dutifully worked with your staff in trying to help you prepare for these meetings but obviously you don’t need my input,” he wrote, saying he had planned to share with King, among other documents, an “amazing study” debunking Muslim groups’ claims to have assisted law enforcement. “I was even going to bring in a special guest today and a VERY informed and connected source, who could have been very useful , possibly even critical to your hearing, but he too will not attend unless I do,” he wrote, continuing:
But now you won’t be needing our new empirical studies or input from my guest. During the days of Senator McCarthy, innocent writers were blacklisted and had to write under pseudonyms because of fear from the accusations of the dictatorial Senator. That you have caved in to the demands of radical Islamists in removing me as a witness, in light of the fact that no one in this country has done more empirical investigations about the attitudes and statements of the established Muslim leadership, shows me, to my utter horror, that McCarthyism is still alive today...
This is really a shame. Its too bad as I had long thought you to be the most courageous member of the House of Representatives in taking on the radical Islamist groups. For years, I had been a long supporter of your singularly courageous efforts to respond to the deception perpetrated by radical Islamic groups in falsely claiming they were “moderate.” I praised your courageous efforts every place I could go. But sadly I cannot do that anymore. I want to wish you good luck and success. .
At no time was it contemplated or suggested to Steve Emerson that he be a witness. I determined early on that to make the most meaningful impact, the lead witnesses would be Muslims who believe their community is being radicalized and that Muslim leaders are not sufficiently cooperating with law enforcement. Law enforcement officials would be also be asked to testify. I assumed that Steve Emerson would support these hearings and provide my staff and me with information and ideas....
It is unfortunate that Steve Emerson who acknowledges that I have been “the most courageous Member of the House of Representatives in taking on the radical Islamists groups” now says I “have caved in to the demands of radical Islamists” solely because he is not going to be a witness—especially since at no time was it ever suggested he would be. Ironically, it now appears that the two most outspoken critics of the radicalization hearing are Steve Emerson and CAIR.
UPDATE: Emerson emails “I think Mr. King is extraordinarily courageous and brave and I want to congratulate him for holding these hearings that are vital to our national security. I deeply praise him for taking on this critical issue of Islamic radicalization. I apologize to Mr. King for some of the intemperate language I used in my private letter to him. But just one correction: I am not one of two outspoken critics of the hearings. That distinction would belong to Congressman Keith Ellison and CAIR. I very much support Mr. King’s hearings.”
EMERSON LETTER:
Dear Pete: I am writing this letter more in sorrow than in anger. Since you apparently believe that Keith Ellison is a better witness on Islamic radicalism than me, and since you think that Ellison is a better friend than me, I don’t know what the purpose of the meeting is for today. In fact, let me graciously give up my hour this afternoon to Ellison and his Muslim Brotherhood friends who have called you a “Nazi,” a “bigot,” a “racist,” an “Islamophobe,” and a “McCarthyite.” Your interview with Politico announcing that I am not going to be a witness came as a shock to me especially in light of the fact that I have been told over and over and over again that no witnesses had been selected. I have dutifully worked with your staff in trying to help you prepare for these meetings but obviously you don’t need my input. To be told over and over again for more than 8 weeks that no witnesses had been selected, beyond having worked with you and your staff for the last 8 years, only to read your interview yesterday, shows me that calculated deception is at play here. I apologize for having to use those words but there is no other explanation.
I had been planning on bringing in five new empirical ground breaking investigative reports, which our IPT staff has worked on assiduously for nearly two years, in surveying how all the Muslim Brotherhood legacy groups (CAIR, MPAC, MAS, ISNA, ICNA, IIIT, etc which control the Islamic “mainstream” community), have undeniably impeded FBI counter-terrorism efforts and have told their constituencies not to talk to talk to the FBI. I was even prepared to bring an amazing study showing that the claims of groups like MPAC which assert that Muslims have stopped a third of al terrorist attacks in this country to be demonstrably fiction and totally fabricated. And I was going to bring shocking secret video and audio of these Muslim groups’ closed door meetings that we took of their incendiary, anti-American, anti-FBI and anti-Semitic comments that these groups said behind closed doors . The film excerpts were going to be selected from our upcoming documentary, “Jihad in America 2: The Grand Deception.” I will be releasing those reports thru other congressional and media venues.
I was even going to bring in a special guest today and a VERY informed and connected source, who could have been very useful , possibly even critical to your hearing, but he too will not attend unless I do.
But now you won’t be needing our new empirical studies or input from my guest. During the days of Senator McCarthy, innocent writers were blacklisted and had to write under pseudonyms because of fear from the accusations of the dictatorial Senator. That you have caved in to the demands of radical Islamists in removing me as a witness, in light of the fact that no one in this country has done more empirical investigations about the attitudes and statements of the established Muslim leadership, shows me, to my utter horror, that McCarthyism is still alive today. Don’t take my word about my qualifications, just ask FBI agents, DOJ prosecutors, DHS agents, Treasury investigators, NYPD ct officials, etc.
I do not and will not intend on simply giving you our work without being seen. That happened once before in one of the most sordid periods of American history. I did see how you used the example yesterday in your interview that I had given to Adam about the Somali protests against CAIR, about which I had just sent to Adam the other day, without citing me as the source of information.
I want to thank you and your staff for refusing all contact, meetings and communication with me over the past 10 weeks which I can prove thru telephone records and emails that my assistant has saved. And I want to thank you for the disinformation I received from your office. You and your staff were the last people in the world who I thought would be capable of this behavior.
I am truly saddened by the turn of events that you and your staff, not me, engineered. Other congressional leaders, media columnists and former top government officials to whom I have spoken to since last night are just as shocked as me.
Oh, yes, I will follow one of the your pieces of advice when you gave an interview to the Forward newspaper about a month ago in response to being challenged by a reporter about the hearings, when you told the reporter to “go ask Steve Emerson, go ask Dan Pipes.” If asked, I certainly will let the media know of my new thoughts and feelings about what has transpired. And I will certainly let our supporters around the country know of my new thoughts.
This is really a shame. Its too bad as I had long thought you to be the most courageous member of the House of Representatives in taking on the radical Islamist groups. For years, I had been a long supporter of your singularly courageous efforts to respond to the deception perpetrated by radical Islamic groups in falsely claiming they were “moderate.” I praised your courageous efforts every place I could go. But sadly I cannot do that anymore. I want to wish you good luck and success. .
I am still prepared to meet you if you can explain to me the purpose of the meeting.
Sincerely yours,
Steve Emerson
KING’S RESPONSE
I was surprised and disappointed to hear that Steve Emerson feels slighted and somehow believes that my committee hearing on Muslim radicalization will not be effective without him testifying and that, among other things, I am guilty of “calculated deception” and that I consider Rep. “Ellison a better friend than” Steve Emerson.
The fact is that Steve Emerson has been extremely helpful to me over the years providing information and support. I was anticipating this same level of cooperation and support in preparation for the upcoming radicalization hearing which is why my staff was in repeated contact with him and I was scheduled to meet with him this afternoon.
At no time was it contemplated or suggested to Steve Emerson that he be a witness. I determined early on that to make the most meaningful impact, the lead witnesses would be Muslims who believe their community is being radicalized and that Muslim leaders are not sufficiently cooperating with law enforcement. Law enforcement officials would be also be asked to testify. I assumed that Steve Emerson would support these hearings and provide my staff and me with information and ideas.
It is unfortunate that Steve Emerson who acknowledges that I have been “the most courageous Member of the House of Representatives in taking on the radical Islamists groups” now says I “have caved in to the demands of radical Islamists” solely because he is not going to be a witness—especially since at no time was it ever suggested he would be. Ironically, it now appears that the two most outspoken critics of the radicalization hearing are Steve Emerson and CAIR.
I have fought this issue for more than nine years against strong opposition. I will go forward with this first hearing and subsequent hearings on this vital issue of radicalization, and, as always, will accept the assistance of all Americans who want to help in this cause. Protecting our nation from Islamic terrorism is larger than any one person.