Historic US hate crimes hearing overshadowed by senator's 'extremism' on Muslim advocate

A historic US congressional hearing on the proliferation of hate crime in the US was overshadowed by a series of questions seemingly accusing an Arab speaker of supporting Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.

At the centre of the hearing was the case of Wadea Al-Fayoumi, a 6-year-old Palestinian boy from Plainfield, Illinois near Chicago, who was stabbed to death by his family's landlord 11 months ago, reportedly because of his background.

In his remarks, Senator Dick Durban of Illinois, who was chairing the hearing, pointed to the danger by white supremacists in the US.

"Since 2000, according to federal law enforcement, white supremacists have been responsible for more homicides than any other domestic extremist group," he said, adding that public figures have a responsibility to not incite hatred.

However, by the end of the hearing, the focus on cases such as that Al-Fayoumi were had been overshadowed by an unusual line of questioning of one of the speakers.

Republican US Senator John Kennedy accused a leading Muslim civil rights advocate, Arab American Institute Executive Director Maya Berry, of supporting extremism during a Senate hearing on hate incidents in the US, drawing criticism from many rights groups.

"You support Hamas, do you not?" Kennedy told Berry, who replied by saying: "You asking the executive director of the Arab American Institute that question very much puts the focus on the issue of hate in our country."

In a follow-up question, the senator asked, "You support Hezbollah, too, don't you?" He later told her, "You should hide your head in a bag."

Berry repeatedly said in her responses that she did not support those groups, and added that she found the line of questioning "extraordinarily disappointing."

 Hamas, which carried out a deadly 7 Oct. attack on Israel, and Hezbollah are both designated as "foreign terrorist organisations" by the US government.

Multiple rights advocates denounced Senator Kennedy.

"It is absolutely reprehensible that a US senator would weaponise the racial identity of a witness and accuse her of supporting terrorism by using an anti-Arab and anti-Muslim trope in a hearing meant to tackle precisely that kind of bigotry," Council on American Islamic Relations Government Affairs Director Robert McCaw told news agency Reuters.

"This harassment is alarming," Muslim American advocacy group Engage Action said.

James Zogby, president of the Arab American Institute, who attended Tuesday's hearing, told The New Arab that he thought Berry's answers were "masterful."

"Maya didn't take the bait. She focused on the broader issues after she was asked demeaning questions. She remained on the high ground," he said.

"In the end, Senator Kennedy provided her with the opportunity to respond, and she scored the final point with her ability to turn the tables on him," he added.

Despite widespread praise for Berry's responses by advocacy groups, Zogby pointed to a more concerning aspect to Berry's exchange with Kennedy, which is the possibility that his comments may have now exposed her to public threats against her, the very reason many advocates felt the need to convene such a hearing.

The Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee, which organised Tuesday's hearing, also condemned the senator and called Berry's response to him "powerful."

Rights advocates have warned about rising threats against American Muslims, Arabs and Jews since the eruption of Israel's war on Gaza.

US incidents in recent months include the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Muslim girl in Texas, the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Muslim boy in Illinois, the stabbing of a Muslim man in Texas, the beating of a Muslim man in New York, threats of violence against Jews at Cornell University that led to a conviction and sentencing, and an unsuccessful plot to attack a New York City Jewish centre.