SAN FRANCISCO, May 7: Almost 600,000 American Muslims have been negatively impacted by the US government’s policies since the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, says a report, prepared by a leading American Islamic group.

Anti-Muslims in the United States increased three-fold over the previous year.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) seventh annual study, entitled “Stereotypes and Civil Liberties”, says those affected include some 1,200 Muslims, who were detained nationwide, mostly on immigration charges, but who were treated as if they were terrorists.

As many as 5,000 legal visa-holders, who were asked to submit to “voluntary” interrogations and an estimated 50,000 individuals, who donated to American Muslim relief agencies, shut down by the government.

The study also outlines 1,516 reports of denial religious accommodation, harassment, discrimination, bias, threat, assault and even several murders.