ISNA leaders addressing the plenary session.

Hughes said her new post as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, which she assumed last month, would cover efforts to respond to civil liberty concerns within the United States from Muslims whose lives and travel have been disrupted in the name of national security.

"We want to be a welcoming country," she told reporters emerging from the meeting.

"We have a common interest in confronting terror and violence and crime and hate that is committed in the name of any religion," she said.

Hughes, asked by Bush to help restore the US public image abroad badly shaken after the invasion of Iraq, praised ISNA for issuing a new pamphlet that takes a strong stand against violence and religious extremism.

US Muslim leaders complained in August that they were sidelined by the Bush administration in the fight against extremism, demanding a more robust role in policy discussions on combating the phenomenon.

Policies of the Bush administration, coupled with some media campaigns, are widely blamed for increasing hatred toward the Muslim minority in the US, following the 9/11 attacks.

Many American Muslim leaders praised Bush's initial outreach to the Muslim minority after the 9/11 attacks.

But they said that such high-profile efforts had waned in the years that followed the deadly attacks.

A May 2004 report released by the US Senate Office Of Research concluded that Arab Americans and the Muslim minority have taken the brunt of the Patriot Act and other federal powers applied in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks.

Parallel Programs

The ISNA convention features tens of parallel programs and sessions covering challenges facing Muslims in North America and many social and health aspects.

The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) will dedicate a seminar on countering Islamaphobia and defamation in America.

Senior US Muslim imams like Zoubir Bouchiki, Rashied Omar and Yusuf Zia Kavakci will also address the role of imams in community leadership and development.

Married couple and renowned authors Ekram and M. Rida Beshir will join the prominent scholar Zainab Alwani to explore the parent/child relations in the Muslim family in North America.

The ISNA Matrimonial Committee, chaired by Tasneem Osmani, will host a banquet, which last year brought together well over 420 participants, with the aim of helping young Muslims tie the knot.

ISNA also organizes a health fair with a special focus this year on blood donations for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

ISNA has donated $20,000 for humanitarian and relief efforts for the victims affected in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.

CAIR, for its part, has urged American Muslims to offer assistance to alleviate the suffering of fellow Americans impacted by the killer hurricane.

The ISNA gathering will also feature three evening entertainment sessions which include humorous skits and poetry by college students.

In addition, the youth will enjoy a basketball tournament and a well organized children’s program for kids ages 6 – 12 years.