What We Still Don’t Understand

Barak Mendelsohn is an assistant professor at Haverford College and a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. He is the author of “Combating Jihadism: American Hegemony and Interstate Cooperation in the War on Terrorism.”

Updated May 2, 2011, 9:58 AM

Representative Peter T. King, the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, is concerned that there is a growing threat from homegrown radicalized Muslims. His detractors argue that the hearing is merely a provocation that could, intentionally or not, incite Islamophobia.

If homegrown terrorism is growing, it may require diverse responses, most of which do not involve law enforcement agencies.

The past couple of years have seen a considerable increase in the number of terrorist plots involving radical Muslims who are American residents. This is troubling, most obviously because of the risk to lives if terrorists succeed in executing a lethal attack. But it is worth understanding because if the phenomenon of homegrown terrorism is growing, it may require diverse responses, most of which do not involve law enforcement agencies.

To enact preventive measures, we first need to understand why some individuals are willing to plot against the state and fellow society members. This is a serious question both for law enforcement and for Congress.

The problem is that our political institutions are not immune from, well, politics. In theory, Congress is not only entitled to but, in fact, required to investigate the problem of radicalization and how government deals with it. In practice, people are understandably apprehensive when a political institution investigates a segment of society.

The politicization of the hearing further undermines lawmakers’ ability to achieve their intended objectives. Representative King’s critics are not very helpful either: criticizing debate on the issue of radicalization among Muslims in the United States will not make the problem go away. If the hearing led to a serious discussion, it could lead to a better understanding of the problem.

So far, law enforcement has had a mixed record in preventing attacks by homegrown terrorists. They have uncovered a number of plots, but attacks in Fort Hood and Little Rock, and the failed car bomb in Times Square, highlight law enforcement’s limitations. Enhanced Congressional oversight could improve agencies’ performance, though oversight alone will not eliminate all potential danger of homegrown terrorism.

Moreover, if done without the appropriate seriousness and sensitivity, Congressional engagement could undermine F.B.I. work among Muslim communities, cause alienation, increase radicalization, and reduce law enforcement’s ability to thwart terrorist plots.

The subject is too sensitive and important to fall victim to political maneuvers on either side of the political divide. Congress must carry out its responsibilities in a cautious and responsible way. Terrorism is not the only threat the United States faces — the erosion of the country’s social fabric, of which Muslim Americans are part, is no less important and requires handling with particular care.