Muslim census a difficult count (1/5ページ)

A new census of Muslim congregations now under way is reviving controversies over how many Muslims are in the USA, how they are counted, and why it matters.

For minority religious groups, particularly Muslims and Jews, higher numbers can mean enhanced social and political clout in the U.S. public square.

On the campaign trail, will a politician stop by a synagogue or a mosque? When members of Congress vote on Middle East policy, which home state constituency has more influence? When the school board sets next year's vacation calendar, whose holy days are recognized?

"Numbers are a major factor in being marginalized or being recognized by decision-makers in public policy," says Ibrahim Hooper, spokesman for the Council for American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a civil rights and advocacy group and a sponsor of this second mosque census.