US Congress debates about possible threat from American-Muslims

Lawmaker hopes the hearing did not feed into "the notion that the USA is at war with Islam."

WASHINGTION: A US congressional panel resumed a controversial debate Wednesday about radicalisation of US-based Muslims, sparking questions by some lawmakers about its purpose.

"The overwhelming majority of Muslim-Americans are outstanding Americans. Yet the reality is that the Islamist terrorist threat comes from that community," said Republican Peter King who chairs the Homeland Security Committee.

The committee, in meetings since March 2011, has come under fire for alleged "witch hunting" and fuelling the marginalisation of American Muslims.

Democratic lawmaker Bennie Thompson said he hoped the hearing did not feed into "the notion that the USA is at war with Islam."

"I hope this hearing will not encourage the belief among Americans that our fellow citizens are apparently dangerous because of their religious affiliation," Thompson stressed.

Democrat Al Green of Texas said "I do not oppose hearings on radicalisation."

"I do oppose hearings that don't focus on the entirety of radicalisation. And if you agree that we have Christians who become radicalised, why not have a hearing on the radicalisation of Christians?" he asked.

Muslim witnesses who testified, such as American Islamic Forum for Democracy president Zuhdi Jasser, sought to shed light on their growing community and its concerns.

"We can come to a consensus that Islamism is a threat, and that's why you need Muslims ... to lead the movement to separate Islam from Islamism," Jasser argued.

Still some members of the US Muslim community were up in arms at the very fact such a hearing was being held.

"People are afraid of this scrutiny," said Qanta Ahmed, a professor at New York University.

Faiza Patel, co-director of the Liberty and National Security Program at NYU, said "debating Islam is not the government's business," adding that "the embrace of violence (by) American Muslims is contrary to all empirical studies."