WASHINGTON, Sept 3: The top US official in charge of improving America’s image abroad has sought assistance from the Muslim community, despite growing criticism by American Muslims of some aspects of the ‘war on terror’.

But so far, Muslim leaders have not received a desired visit by President George Bush they think would be helpful to promote the spirit of cooperation with the US government.

Instead, Undersecretary of State for Public Diplomacy Karen Hughes arrived on Friday in Rosemont, Illinois, where she met with top US Muslim leaders attending the 42nd annual convention of the Islamic Society of North America.

The society is an umbrella group for dozens of mosques and other Muslim associations in the United States and Canada. An estimated 40,000 people are attending its four-day convention.

“I found new allies to help me do my job,” Karen Hughes declared after the talks.

Close to Mr Bush, she assumed her new State Department job last month, after the president asked her to help restore the US public image badly shaken in the aftermath of the March 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Solid majorities in key Muslim countries continue to view the United States unfavourably, according to an opinion poll made public in June by the Pew Global Attitudes Project, a non-partisan research initiative.

The survey showed that only 21 per cent of people in Jordan, 23 per cent each in Turkey and Pakistan and 38 per cent in Indonesia held a favourable view of the United States.

American Muslims are also increasingly wary of the USA’s Patriot Act, which grants the federal government increased surveillance and search powers that are often used against them.

Ms Hughes said the US government and Muslims, no matter where they lived, were keenly interested in fighting terrorism and violence committed in the name of any religion.

She made a direct appeal to US Muslims to help her in the efforts to change negative attitudes toward the country abroad.

“Who better to do that than many of our American Muslims themselves who have friends and family and groups in countries across our world?” she asked.

The society has also recently created an anti-terrorism and anti-extremism committee to combat violence around the world and plans to publish a pamphlet advocating its position.

The Islamic society had sent an invitation to Mr Bush, saying his visit would go a long way toward demonstrating that the United States respected the Muslim religion.

But the president, tied up with hurricane relief efforts, has made no mention of any plan to attend.—AFP