Just like Joe McCarthy and his House Un-American Activities Committee tried to intimidate and bully the film industry by choosing to call right-wing actors, producers and directors, writers, etc., who themselves worked in that industry, as friendly witnesses, so Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) is planning to use Muslim leaders whom Rep. King perceives to be sympathetic to his cause to testify against so-called “uncooperative” and “radicalized” Muslims in the United States.
This has gotten passionate non-Muslim professional Islamophobe, Steve Emerson, quite angry. Emerson apparently believes that King promised to call him as a friendly witness, and now is all hot under the collar because King says he didn’t make that promise. Amusingly, Emerson accuses King of “McCarthyism”:
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. .
Steve Emerson runs the Investigative Project on Terrorism, which currently is reporting, as one of its “top stories,” about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s “strange relationship with radical Islam.” Emerson also has a blog dedicated to the dangers of radical Islam — which he appears to define as any person or group that portrays Islam as a legitimate religion, that advocates for greater understanding of religious diversity and support for interfaith dialogue, and/or that seeks to defend Muslims from broad-brush charges of radicalism or opposes anti-Muslim bias and discrimination against Muslims in daily life.
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