**Statement of Senator George V. Voinovich**

**Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs**

**Hearing on, "The Threat of Islamic Radicalization to the Homeland"**

**March 14, 2007**

Mr. Chairman, and Senator Collins, I commend you both for your
leadership in conducting hearings to consider the emerging homeland
security threat of homegrown radicalization of American Muslims. As this
Committee has learned at previous hearings, radicalization can be a
precursor to terrorism and is therefore a significant homeland security
concern. I welcome our witnesses and am pleased that the Department of
Homeland Security is taking this issue seriously.

The United States is at war against a transnational terrorist movement
fueled by radical extremists. These individuals seek to exploit the
religion of Islam through violent means to achieve ideological ends. In
my work on this Committee, and on the Foreign Relations Committee, one
of my chief concerns has been how to combat this spread of radical
jihadist ideology. This struggle transcends borders. We need to be
proactive about combating extremism at home in the United States, as
well as abroad. This is a critical element of our overall plan for
success in the War on Terror.

I think it is important to clarify that the issue of concern is not the
religion of Islam itself, but how the religion can be exploited and
distorted by violent extremists to inspire and justify their actions. We
must not associate the reprehensible behavior of violent extremists with
the entire Islamic faith. Our intent must not be to single out members
of any religion for their religious beliefs, but rather to focus on
preventing activities that may harm the United States.

A recent Homeland Security Advisory Council Terrorism Task Force report
noted, "The most significant terrorist threat to the homeland and to
U.S. interests abroad today is a growing radical, extremist movement
underpinned by a jihadist/Salafist ideology... The alienation of Muslim
populations in the Western world is a major is a major component of the
spread of jihadist ideology." I believe we can prevent this extremist
movement from taking root here in the United States if we work to
prevent the "us vs. them" type of alienation which breeds
radicalization.

While domestic radicalization is an emerging threat which we must
address, most experts agree that the United States does not currently
face the same level of homegrown extremism as some other countries in
the West. I strongly believe this is due to America's exceptional
democratic values, religious tolerance, openness, and economic mobility.
We must continue to uphold these ideals. In this regard, the U.S. should
remain a model for other countries around the world in teaching
tolerance and honoring diversity.

We must also be careful to avoid profiling of Muslims and individuals of
Arab descent. As the *Washington Post* reported on Monday, profiling is
an unreliable tool for identifying potential terrorists.

I am convinced that to prevent domestic radicalization, we must work to
better engage Muslim communities across America and facilitate
interfaith dialogue to prevent isolation. The federal government has an
important role to play in fostering positive relations and building
strong community ties, and I believe this should be a priority for the
Administration.

Although strong law enforcement and intelligence measures are essential
tools for countering this threat, in order to truly prevent
radicalization the federal government must take a stronger leadership
role in winning the hearts and minds of the American Muslim community.

In response to the growing concern about the potential for domestic
radicalization, I recently offered a Sense of the Senate amendment to
address domestic radicalization. I am pleased this amendment was
included as part of S. 4, the *Improving America's Security Act of
2007*, which yesterday passed the Senate.

This non-binding Sense of the Senate is based on recommendations in a
recent Homeland Security Advisory Council Terrorism Task Force report
and would direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to undertake efforts
to:

-   utilize subject matter experts to better understand the cycle of
    radicalization

-   foster cultural understanding and mutual respect;

-   recruit professionals with diverse worldviews, cultural backgrounds,
    and foreign language expertise;

-   ensure the lexicon used within public statements is precise and
    appropriate and does not aid extremists by offending the Muslim
    community;

-   pursue broader avenues of dialogue with the Muslim community;

-   educate state, local, and community leaders on the threat of
    radicalization;

-   share best practices for community outreach and developing
    interfaith partnerships; and

-   address prisoner radicalization and post-sentence reintegration.

I firmly believe that developing a proactive approach to combating
radicalization is among the most important homeland security activities
the federal government can undertake.

I would also note that better integrating the Muslim faith within our
communities is but one of many areas in which we must all work to build
the infrastructure of human understanding. At the international level, I
have consistently worked to bring attention to addressing problems of
intolerance and xenophobia. I have been heavily engaged with several
non-governmental organizations and with the Organization for Security
and Cooperation in Europe to combat the rise in anti-Semitism,
anti-Muslim intolerance, and xenophobia across Europe and globally.

I was very pleased when the President recognized the importance of
public diplomacy and winning hearts and minds as critical to the war on
terrorism and radical views. He appointed Karen Hughes to head that
effort as the Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy. Since that time
Karen has worked to establish more dialogue with America's Muslim
communities and to empower American Muslims to act as American
ambassadors in other countries, so they can explain what it is really
like to live in America and practice Islam in America. These are really
interesting endeavors and I think they are absolutely crucial to our
objectives in the area of homeland security.

I look forward to learning more from our witnesses about the existing
threat, the cycle of radicalization, and preventative measures the
Department of Homeland Security is taking to counter radicalization. I
would also note that as we consider this threat, we must be careful not
to overreact in a manner which could further alienate the Muslim
American community we are trying to engage.