Japanese Americans decry Rep. King's Muslim hearings as 'sinister'

washingtonpost.com ^ | March 8, 2011 | David Nakamura

[Free ThinkerNY]

During the chaotic days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Basim Elkarra was passing by an Islamic school in Sacramento when he did a double-take: The windows were covered with thousands of origami paper cranes - peace symbols that had been folded and donated by Japanese Americans.

Amid the anger and suspicions being aimed at Muslims at that time, the show of support "was a powerful symbol that no one will ever forget," said Elkarra, a Muslim American community leader in California.

It was also the beginning of an unlikely bond between the two groups that has intensified as House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) prepares to launch a series of controversial hearings Thursday on radical Islam in the United States.

Spurred by memories of the World War II-era roundup and internment of 110,000 of their own people, Japanese Americans, especially on the West Coast, have been among the most vocal and passionate supporters of embattled Muslims. They've rallied public support against hate crimes at mosques, signed on to legal briefs opposing the indefinite detention of Muslims by the government, organized cross-cultural trips to the Manzanar internment camp memorial in California and held "Bridging Communities" workshops in Islamic schools and on college campuses.

[skeeter]

ALL Japanese Americans?

Or a tiny minority of nutroot liberal Japanese Americans?

[paulycy]

Allahu Banzai!

[bboop]

What’s really sinister is denying the Truth.

[max americana]

>Spurred by memories of the World War II-era roundup and internment of 110,000 of their own people, Japanese Americans, especially on the West Coast, have been among the most vocal and passionate supporters of embattled Muslims.<

Now that’s funny. Where did the WaPo dig up this clown? I work with Japanese Americans in the anime and fansub community in L.A. and the only thing they give a damn about is when the latest Naruto and One Piece is coming out.

[blam]

Proof that the world has gone completely NUTS!!

Up is down and down is up.

This crap is really getting sick...

[Williams]

It’s really hard to accept this bullcrap.

We are talking about HEARINGS, fact finding.

[dps.inspect]

Somebody look into this... my guess is that this comes from liberal college campuses, with large Japanese student bodies... California!

[reagandemocrat]

Honda was a baby at the time. His sainted FDR signed EO 9066 and the evil Reagan signed for reparations.

Dems are simply morons.

[Godwin1]

Well, WW2 is over and we won. Most Japanese Americans (Tokyo Rose a notable exception) remained loyal to America. The jury is still out on the first loyalties of America's Muslims. King's hearings are necessary and long overdue.

[Uri’el-2012]

I'll bet this is an Alinsky tactic.

[oh8eleven]

embattled Muslims
WTF - are you chittin' me?
The author, with a Japanese surname no less, should be ashamed of himself.

[Mr. Mojo]

[King] rejects accusations that he is demonizing Muslims and ignoring threats from other extremists.

Leftists are playing the "you're ignoring other extremists!" card with mindless abandon. It's no surprise they're not specifying exactly who those "other extemists" are. But don't be surprised to see them play their moronic "Islamic fundamentalists are no different than Christian or Jewish fundamentalists" card before this is over.

[hinckley buzzard]

cross-cultural trips to the Manzanar internment camp memorial in California and held "Bridging Communities" workshops in Islamic schools and on college campuses.

How about a cross cultural tour between NY Ground Zero and Pearl Harbor. They ought to get a hoot out of that.

[Williams]

How the hell or why the hell would you hold hearings on “other extremists” when they won’t let you hold hearings on the Muslim extremists in the first place!

[forgotten man]

If you want to learn about the real Japanese Americans watch the movie “Go For Broke”. It is about the 442 Regiment in WWII. Watch for it on TCM or AMC channel. There are no Muslim American equivalents.

[lefty-lie-spy]

You gotta be f00kin’ kidding me. I cal bullshiite on this lib hit piece. The author probably actually knows someone of Asian descent and thinks he knows “The Japanese”.

[Williams]

I have to say if we can bring back the WWII japanese imperialist bastards vs the Al Queda bastards it will be a tough call as to who is more brutal.

However, no contest as to who will win. The japanese were efficient as well as merciless.

[Mr. Mojo]

The libs want the hearings to be about extremism/terrorism in general, and to ignore the fact that 99% of all terrorist acts in the world are committed by one group and one group only -- Muslims.

[lefty-lie-spy]

DAVID NAKAMURA "David Nakamura is a staff writer for The Washington Post who believes that safe tap water is an important ingredient for any city that aspires to food supremacy."

'Nuff said.