Employer and educator ignorance, a pattern of exclusion by the Bush Administration and unflattering depictions by the entertainment industry are contributing to rising discrimination against Muslims in the United States, the Council on American-Islamic Relations says.
The group, in its sixth annual report, said that the number of complaints of anti-Muslim discrimination had risen by 15 per cent in the past year. Most involved restrictions on religious observances or practices in the workplace or schools.
"We are trying to help educators and employers understand Islamic religious practices," the council's executive director, Mr Nihad Awad, said. "Misunderstanding and ignorance are our biggest challenges.''
The most common complaints are Muslim women not allowed to wear their traditional headscarves at work, and men being asked to shave their beards. There are also problems carrying out the ritual of five daily prayers towards Mecca.
The report's author, Mr Mohamed Nimer, said more than one-third of the discriminatory incidents involved denial of religious practice, and in 20 per cent of the cases people were sacked or passed over for jobs because of their religion.
Council officials said there were also concerns about the Bush Administration's commitment to eradicating anti-Muslim discrimination. They cited the case of a congressional intern, Mr Abdullah Al-Arian, being ejected from a White House meeting in June of President George Bush's faith-based initiative. Secret Service officers had mistakenly believed that Mr Al-Arian had terrorist connections. Mr Bush later apologised.
They also pointed the finger at Hollywood, saying that several recent films including, Executive Decision and The Siege, portrayed Muslims in a "negative and inaccurate" manner.