DALLAS, July 9 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) - The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) seized the opportunity of the U.S. celebration of its independence day on July 4 by holding a conference to send an abundantly clear message that the Islam is part of the American mosaic.

"We thought the Independence Day weekend would be a good time to celebrate that," said Azhar Azeez, the media chairman for the society's local chapter.

The Conference, entitled "Better Muslims for a better America," tackled means of how "Islam can contribute to the strength of America, but only if Muslims are true to their faith," Imam Zaid Shakir of New York said.

"It will only get better if we, as Muslims, are better," he said. "We have to be more tolerant, starting with being more tolerant of each other."

"The goal was to educate and motivate (Muslims in the U.S.)," said conference chairman Mozzam Ahmed of Irving. He and other conference organizers on Sunday, July 6, announced the creation of a task force to help Muslims in the region coordinate efforts to organize.

"Governments come and go. American Muslims, whether native-born or immigrants, do not…This is our home," said Mohamed Elmougy, chairman of the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

The conference included separate sessions hosted by the Muslim Students Association, Muslim Youth of North America and the Association of Muslim Social Scientists.

Much of the event had a post-Sept. 11 flavor. Breakout sessions focused on Muslims and civil liberties and the U.S.A. Patriot Act.

At one session, attendees were urged to work against a proposed "Patriot Act 2," which would follow up on the law passed shortly after 9-11. Many Muslims believe they have been unfairly targeted by anti-terrorism legislation that curtails some civil liberties.

At another one, Mohammed Suleman, one of the founders of the largest mosque in North Texas, the Dallas Central Mosque in Richardson, got a lifetime-achievement award from the society for 35 years of service, while other sessions concentrated on theology or community organizing.

ISNA is the largest umbrella organization for the several million Muslims in America. The weekend event, a first for Dallas, was one of a series of regional meetings. About 3,000 people participated.

Meanwhile, another conference was held in Philadelphia where about 15,000 American Muslims were present to rally the political power of the nation's estimated 7 million to 8 million Muslims to oppose restrictions on their freedom following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, such as the U.S.A. Patriot Act and the recent government order that recent immigrant men from mostly Muslim countries register with federal authorities.

The three-day conference that concluded Sunday was co-sponsored by the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), based in Jamaica, N.Y., and the Virginia-based Muslim American Society.

On Friday, July 4, hundreds of Muslims stood outside the Liberty Bell on Independence Hall and read aloud the Bill of Rights, to rally support and remind passers-by that Muslims also have rights in America.

"Immigrants really tend to believe in the American dream, and it's deeply disappointing to them," the Associated Press quoted as saying Islamic Circle program coordinator Adem Carroll, who has worked with about 400 of the detainees in the New York-New Jersey area.

"I grew up here," Carroll said "I was disappointed that the government has lost its commitment to the Constitution, apparently, and I'm concerned about the lack of outrage."

Ibrahim Quadri, a 31-year-old computer consultant, has lived in New Jersey since he was three months old, when his family arrived from Pakistan. Nonetheless, FBI agents have twice visited his home in Hillsboro since the 9/11 attacks. They said someone applying to the FBI academy had listed him as a reference - but they never identified the person, and ventured into questions about his own life, such as the mosque he attends, Quadri said.

"I think my whole family has been interviewed," said Quadri, whose brother is in the U.S. military.

"I think there has to be a civil rights movement for immigrants," he said. "It's an invasion of privacy. The Patriot Act is almost quashing that (right)."

About 144,000 men living in or arriving in the United States from different "targeted" countries have registered so far, according to the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Enforcement, formerly known as the Immigration and Naturalization Service.