NEW YORK (Reuters) – Muslims, activists and supporters demonstrated in Times Square on Sunday to protest a Congressional hearing on radicalization of U.S. Muslims.

Holding placards that read "Today I am a Muslim, too," a few hundred gathered at the interfaith protest, decrying what they said was the bigotry and ignorance behind anti-Muslim sentiments in the United States.

Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, until recently the leader of the controversial plan to build a mosque and cultural center near the former World Trade Center site, said he was concerned this week's scheduled hearing by Representative Peter King on radicalization of U.S. Muslims would only alienate them.

"My concern is the perception among the youth here that Muslims are under attack ... by their own government.

"This helps radicalize people, and we need to reverse that cycle of radicalization," Rauf said.

King, a New York Republican who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, said on CNN Sunday that while "the overwhelming majority of Muslims are outstanding Americans ... there is an effort to radicalize efforts within the Muslim community."

The protest was organized by an interfaith coalition of community and political leaders and activists, including priests, rabbis and imams.

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons, who heads the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, also attended.

"The whole premise of the hearings is absolutely discriminatory" and would only foster fear," Simmons said.

Organizers said inclement weather likely kept attendance down.

A small group of counter-protesters from the Liberty Alliance gathered a few blocks away, while New York City Councilman Daniel Dromm earlier hosted a group opposing King's hearings.

No incidents were reported at either gathering, police said.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud; Editing by Jerry Norton)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Rain and snow were due to strike much of the East on Sunday and overnight, affecting states from Tennessee and North Carolina through New England, with the Northeast especially hard hit, forecasters said.

Low visibility amid fog in the New York metropolitan area caused delays of about 75 minutes on arriving flights at LaGuardia airport and up to two-and-a-half hours at John F. Kennedy International.

Delays averaging two hours were reported at Newark Liberty International.

Forecasters were calling for one to two inches of rain in the New York City area.

"A moisture-packed storm will batter the Northeast today through early on Monday," meteorologist Bill Deger wrote on the AccuWeather website.

He said the storm could bring up to three inches of flooding rain in some areas, and more than a foot of wet snow in others.

"By this evening, an all-out snowstorm will be underway from northern Pennsylvania through northern New York," Deger said.

The National Weather service showed flood watches in effect for much of the Mid-Atlantic region, while the Weather Channel site said "heavy rainfall will be possible in the Northeast and may result in some flooding problems."

Colder air coming in behind the storm "would change rain to snow across the interior of the Northeast," it said.

"Some rain and snow will linger into (Monday) morning across New England and eastern parts of New York, and into the evening hours in northern Maine," Weather Channel lead meteorologist Mark Avery wrote on the Channel's site.

In Philadelphia about an inch of rain was expected, with a forecast of wet roads and possible minor flooding in low-lying areas.

Flash flood warnings and flood advisories remained in effect across Tennessee after heavy daylong rain moved through the middle of the state on Saturday and was heading to the eastern portion on Sunday. Snowflakes were reported in the higher elevations.

A flood watch was in effect for the Oconee Mountains in northwest South Carolina, along with portions of northeast Georgia and western North Carolina. Greenville County, South Carolina, received 3 inches of rain overnight, according to the National Weather Service.

Elsewhere in the nation, the Great Plains were dry on Sunday, but heavy snowfall was expected across the region this week.

Up to two inches of snow are expected Monday in eastern Nebraska, then a lull before the storm dumps to six inches of heavy, wet snow in the Omaha area Tuesday and Wednesday.

(Additional reporting by Dave Warner in Philadelphia, Tim Ghianni in Nashville, David Hendee in Omaha, Chris Michaud in New York and Harriet McLeod in Charlotte; Writing by Jerry Norton; Editing by Lauren Keiper)