In a Washington Times op-ed today, conservative commentator Joel Mowbray claimed that Dr. Zuhdi Jasser -- the star witness in Rep. Peter King's (R-NY) congressional hearing on the extent of radicalization of American Muslims -- “never has said that violent rhetoric dominates discussion in mosques or elsewhere in the Muslim community.”

In fact, the claim that Jasser has never said that “violent rhetoric dominates discussion in mosques” is patently misleading, bordering on false. Jasser is on the board of the Clarion Group, which promotes the totally debunked claim that "[a]ccording to Muslim estimates, up to 80 percent of mosques in the U.S. are owned, operated and led by Wahhabis."

Furthermore, King himself has repeatedly pushed the claim that 80 to 85 percent of U.S. mosques are “controlled by radical imams.” Indeed, in January, King stated that “from what I've seen and dealings I've had, that number seems accurate.”

So, contrary to Mowbray's suggestion, people should be very concerned indeed that Jasser and King will use the hearing to smear American Muslims.