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WASHINGTON--Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), defended his upcoming hearings on the U.S. Muslim community and terrorism in a Fox News interview, as Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) on MSNBC's "Hardball" with Chris Matthews spoke out against King, saying Muslims in her north suburban and North Side Chicago district were upset with the targeting.

Said King on Fox: "I will not back down whatsoever. These hearings are absolutely essential, and I don't care what they say or what they accuse me of, I'm going ahead with the hearings. These are necessary for the homeland security of our nation. There are real threats against the country, and when you listen to even what the administration is saying, that al Qaeda is targeting and attempting to radicalize the Muslim-American community, how could I as chairman of the Homeland Security Committee not examine that phenomenon that's going on?"