NEW YORK, June 29: FBI Director Robert Mueller on Friday assured American Muslims that his agency will not abuse broad new powers to fight terrorism, by trampling on civil liberties or unfairly singling out Arabs or Muslims. “We are out to address terrorists,” Mr Mueller told the AMC convention in Washington. “This is in no way a war against Islam.”

Mr Mueller thanked the American Muslim Council for the assistance they provided the agency in investigating terrorism since Sept 11, including key help translating for suspects who speak Arabic said a news release here.

Mr Mueller also noted, however, that some members of the AMC in the past had made statements supporting terrorism.

“My presence generated some controversy,” Mr Mueller told the gathering, in reference to a handful of calls that he should not speak to the group. He noted the organization’s head condemned the Sept 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon after they happened.

But the FBI director also said some people associated with the group “have in the past made statements that indicated support for terrorists and terrorist organizations,” and said all Americans should be outraged by such statements.

Nevertheless, Mr Mueller defended his appearance, saying, “It is critically important for us to develop a strong relationship.”

Among the assistance Muslims in the United States have provided to law enforcement was an outpouring of people volunteering to serve as Arabic translators, Mr Mueller said. That allowed the FBI to double the number of such experts and substantially reduce a backlog of items needing translating, he said.

Some Arabic translators also have gone to the US naval base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to help interview Al Qaeda or Taliban suspects detained there, Mr Mueller said.

The AMC opened its 11th annual meeting on Thursday with a day-long lobbying session on Capitol Hill. Clutching red booklets titled: “How Our Laws Are Made,” many of the members seemed determined, if hesitant, to engage in this ritual of citizenship — most of them for the first time.

The US has frozen the assets of some of the charities to which the council has urged its members to contribute, citing alleged links to terrorists.

Participants in this year’s conference, whose theme is “American Muslims: Part of America,” showed the pressures of this age of increased FBI surveillance. Many shunned media interviews, fearing they might invite police scrutiny of their activities.

“We’re particularly pleased that you have decided to come out as Americans,” Eric Vickers, director of the American Muslim Council, told them during an orientation session on Thursday.

The list of issues for which they seek political attention include a Palestinian state, Iraq, Kashmir, new FBI surveillance tactics and racial profiling of Muslims since Sept 11.